Re: General Non-game Chat Thread

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Thu Dec 17, 2015 5:54 pm

Corrine, very true. My calling Chewokka polyamorous and weird was to state that this particular shipping is both polyamorous and weird...described by two separate terms. IE - they're not weird because they're polyamorous, nor polyamorous because they're weird. Rather, they are both polyamorous, and weird. Smile

And really, the Sith aren't necessarily 'bad' either, though they doooooo seem to rather inevitably slide that way regardless of their intentions over time.

by **Lady Corrine Marsten** Thu Dec 17, 2015 6:04 pm

I see them as like the Romulans in Star Trek. They are, at heart, just different from the Vulcans in that they do not believe it is desirable to suppress emotion, but that openness they have to emotion makes them vulnerable to dark urges, and they don't have a way of mediating them.

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Thu Dec 17, 2015 6:08 pm

Not a bad analogy...as well because both Sith and Romulans prize 'strength' as a measure of personal worth;
and define 'strength' as 'how many asses can you kick?'

That, in general, would probably tend to provide a downward spiral in terms of morals/ethics, from the perspective of a peaceful society. Smile

by **Lady Corrine Marsten** Thu Dec 17, 2015 6:11 pm

Exactly. The Vulcans and Jedi are broken societies too, just in different ways. They both suppress emotion, which, from a psychological viewpoint, is super unhealthy, and they have very rigid social heirarchies, which stifles individuality. There's also the disconnect of claiming to value peace while swinging around big weapons.

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Thu Dec 17, 2015 6:24 pm

Yar, well, they both have good 'reasons' for their practices, though it's also true that those practices lead to some very real hardships for them.

The people who became Vulcans had had a history of very little but bitter internecine warfare over incredibly scarce natural resources on their homeworld. The rejection of emotions allowed them to cooperate in more meaningful ways, and organize on a far larger scale than had ever been done before. It was the absolute key to opening up scientific research and turning their formidable intellects to tasks like space flight and so on. It in a very real sense saved them from a savage existence.

HOWEVER...it also doomed them to what we might think of as a kind of half-life, locking away a great deal of the potential of their minds and species. It seems like, as they gained access to more resources, more worlds, they could have relaxed that absolute control a bit.

But then again, maybe then they'd just...all be Romulans. Smile

As for the Jedi, they have a very good reason to reject passions. The Force. Imagine being a person who might, by accident, turn any passing desire or thought into a physical manifestation. Driving down the street, someone cuts you off and you in a moment of road rage, uh...strangle him. Oops.

The Jedi NEED a lot of mental discipline. The Jedi Code is, at its best, not about suppressing emotions...it's about growing beyond passions, in a kind of Zen or Buddhist way. A Jedi, in that sense, can feel love, and happiness, and yes even anger and fear. But they feel those things within an all-encompassing serenity, that insulates those emotions from actions. They feel anger, but do not lash out. They feel fear, but do not flee.

That's the ideal. The reality, as we've seen, falls far short of that ideal. Not even all the 'Masters' achieve it...and the downfall of the Order is probably attributable in part to that gradual weakening. The decay of the Jedi Code from a living, breathing philosophy, into an onerous dogmatism.

by **Septon Arlyn** Thu Dec 17, 2015 8:03 pm

Monty Python+ game of thrones = profit [url:2ikk42b1]http:
//intvseries.
com/18-game-of-thrones-scenes-improved-by-monty-python-and-the-holy-grail-quotes/4[/url:2ikk42b1]

by **Lady Corrine Marsten** Thu Dec 17, 2015 8:53 pm

I've always thought it would fit Tyrion to say "
Now, go away, or I will taunt you a second time!"

by **Lady Corrine Marsten** Fri Dec 18, 2015 4:21 am

I just submitted my last bit of coursework for the semester. I now have 4 weeks off. I don't give a toss that it's after 4am, I'm rewarding myself with a snack and some ESO.

by **Baelon Drakeson** Fri Dec 18, 2015 5:01 am

Congrats!

by **Lady Corrine Marsten** Fri Dec 18, 2015 5:38 am

So tired. But relieved. It's been a difficult few months.

by **Ereth Redwain** Fri Dec 18, 2015 6:32 am

Lady Corrine Marsten wrote:I just submitted my last bit of coursework for the semester. I now have 4 weeks off. I don't give a toss that it's after 4am, I'm rewarding myself with a snack and some ESO.

Congrats!

by **Ser Jorah Holt** Sat Dec 19, 2015 5:13 pm

congrats to Corrine

and welcome to our new player davain bartheld

by **Ereth Redwain** Sat Dec 19, 2015 5:42 pm

Welcome!

Glad it's a Bartheld

by **Lady Corrine Marsten** Sat Dec 19, 2015 5:53 pm

Welcome!

by **Luecian LongBow** Sat Dec 19, 2015 5:57 pm

Welcome and great to have an addition to House Bartheld, although Nathan is pretty badass all by his lonesome... might not be fair to give him another player also! :;
):

by **Davain Bartheld** Sat Dec 19, 2015 11:49 pm

Thanks for the welcome everyone. Can't wait to start posting.

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Sun Dec 20, 2015 1:38 am

Oh wow, I totally missed we have a Davain now!

That's great! We've all heard so much about you...it'll be very nice to meet the man. Smile

Welcome!

by **Yoren longshore** Thu Dec 24, 2015 5:53 pm

Merry Christmas!

by **Ereth Redwain** Thu Dec 24, 2015 6:23 pm

Yoren longshore wrote:Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

by **Ser Jorah Holt** Thu Dec 24, 2015 6:55 pm

Happy winter solstice

by **Septon Arlyn** Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:01 pm

Happy festivus!

by **Lady Corrine Marsten** Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:28 pm

Happy festivemas, everyone!

by **Reader** Thu Dec 24, 2015 8:58 pm

Happy holidays everyone, delighted to have such an engaged and helpful group of players! Thanks guys. Smile

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Thu Dec 24, 2015 10:56 pm

Agreed! We have a great bunch here!

Equally pleased on my part to have a GM who's really dedicated to it, sticking it out through the rough parts and taking genuine pleasure in the craft of the story, from both his own efforts and from the efforts of the players.

It's added up to one of the most memorable games in 20-odd years of gaming!

Thanks to everyone!

by **Nathaniel Mason** Fri Dec 25, 2015 12:19 am

Happy Holidays everyone!

Hope Christmas brings you peace and the New Year brings prosperity.

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