ShinyB

Metaplay. (The working title that became the title.) I hate this word, but I am in staunch support of its sentiment. Conflict should not be determined by who you are friends with out-of-character. More importantly, war should not be lodged at people you vehemently hate out-of-character for no other reason than your personal desire to destroy them. Unfortunately, the admins of this server may tout their condemnation of these actions, but their words are nothing but performative. A report detailing willful, continual and targeted harassment, deceit, abuse of staff powers, harmful and inappropriate conduct towards minors, metagaming and metaplaying, as well as a slew of other general misconduct was submitted to admins April 11th, 2025. These actions were directed towards a former subsection of the Norland community (now known as Vansk), as well as associated individuals, over the course of a year, before and after the community split. Admins have decided to do nothing. We were explicitly told such. If anything in specific happened, we were never told. They refused to punish those that have blatantly broken server rules. They refused to address the corruption and abuse of power within their own ranks. They refused to stop a war so obviously steeped in out-of-character hatred and retaliation. I will let the evidence speak for itself and have you decide, is this really a server worth playing on? Is this somewhere you can feel safe when admins refuse to prosecute their friends? To what degree will roleplay be compromised by this conduct? A History of Harassment Will your community be next? For me, all of these questions and more have already been answered. To have aggressors and instigators go unpunished and unchecked sacrifices the delicate safety a roleplay space should be providing. To have staff abuse their powers in favor of certain communities, and to the detriment of others, compromises the competency and integrity of staff as a whole. And to have admins so blatantly excuse the out-of-character manipulation of roleplay in pursuit of retaliatory ends, shatters any illusion that this server strives for good faith and collaborative roleplay.

Within the comfort of the Bard's College, Mylo Malto-Gylldene receives word of the kidnapping. His face falls, both grief and anger overcoming his normally calm demeanor. "To kidnap innocent children..." He mutters, his voice wavering. "I pray for their safe return."

This is so cool!! I’m so proud of you Pesty, your original music has always been amazing and the lyrics are just the cherry on top. I expect to see a bard performance soon >:] And big props to the singers! This sounded hard to sing (but I don’t sing, so what do I know). I wouldn’t be doing this collaboration justice if I didn’t mention the art as well, it’s beautiful, Unni did a wonderful job.

Notice of Death [!] An official missive from Clan Gylldene has been distributed to friends and family. It is unusually short, cold and to the point. Some noticeable changes have been made. It is with great sorrow and regret we inform you that Sera Gylldene has passed away, forever will she rest within the Halls of the All-Father. May you take solace in knowing her death was peaceful. She was struck down in the night by an unknown assailant, her final words left a mystery. Tragedy may have taken her, but it will never erase her memory. May her name and legacy live on through her husband and children, who she loved dearly, and her Clan members, who she was ever devoted to. She leaves behind a will, which has been left with her Clan Chieftain, Farian Malto-Gylldene, to manage its fulfillment. A small, private funeral will be held in accordance with her wishes. May His Flame provide guidance during this time of grief.

Sips & Celebrations [!] Missives have been posted across Aevos. You are cordially invited to join Clan Gylldene and the Master Bards of the Bard’s College in a celebratory tea party commemorating the opening of the main branch of the Vailu Valmiran Bard’s College in Koyo-Kuni, Jun Lei. [!] A map has been attached. Coordinates: -2123, 2003 Whether you are a teacher, student, resident or simply an intrigued visitor, all are free to join the celebration and partake in the Goldenrod Teahouse’s extensive menu. The stage will be open for anyone to perform, but the night will be mostly filled with tea-tasting and conversation. If you wish, you may even bring your own blends for people to try! In particular, we would like to thank the residents of Jun Lei and Koyo-Kuni for their hospitality and offer them special invitations to this event. Specially handcrafted tea cups representative of Jun Lei culture will be given out– for free– during the party. We hope to see you there! OOC: Saturday, April 12th, 5pm EST

ShinyBluePikachu Mylo Malto-Gylldene 87103

Sera Gylldene smiles. “We did it!” She cheerfully declares. “Now to ensure it lives on long after we’re gone.” She sets an untouched book onto her worktable and begins setting ink to paper.

Sera Gylldene doesn't check the missive. She is enjoying her freedom. Mylo Malto-Gylldene reads the Founder's words with a heavy heart. "To go from blaming us, to begging us to come back, to claiming they never wanted us in the first place." He sighs as he folds the missive and places it on an ever growing stack. "May they toil among themselves. We move forward."

Sera Gylldene reads the missive with a growing smile. "Finally!" She speaks to no one in particular, as people are oft to do during these times. "A commendable recount. Something that makes sense." Mylo Malto-Gylldene shakes his head in disappointment as he sets the missive aside. "To think I used to look up to her, with how easily fooled she was..." The weight of such a realization sinks in. "I pray the Faith may recover from such grievous heresies."

Resignation. This notice is to inform the citizens of Norland that I, Sera Gylldene, am officially resigning from the position of Master of Coin. I have dutifully served this nation as such for over six decades, more if you consider my time as a mere steward. This is not a decision I make lightly or without careful consideration. It is also not a decision I make in regard to my age. I am not retiring, but I am also not returning to Norland as a steward or even as a fellow citizen. Some may call me traitorous for abandoning Norland’s people. To those that slander my Clan and family name, know this; For several decades now, I have stood steadfast against the rising waves of corruption, impudence and indolence. I have been scooping bucketfuls of water out of an ever-growing ocean full of it. I have watched the waves only grow higher despite my efforts. I refuse to drown. It is unjust to claim it is my duty to continue futilely trying to dry up this great expanse of injustices or sink to its bottom. For those more crass, let me put it simply. You cannot expect me to wade through horse shit and then tell me it is my duty to continue wading through horse shit. Let me not leave this off on an undignified message. Let me instead offer you hope. A brighter future awaits me outside this Kingdom’s suffocating walls, one that I am willing to share with those brave enough to grasp it alongside me.

Mylo Matlo-Gylldene packs up another satchel full of his belongings and rides for the gates alongside his father. He takes one last glance towards the Ashwood and gazes upon the remnants of the Kingdom he grew up in, the Kingdom he loved and the Kingdom he swore to protect. "May we prosper elsewhere." He mutters before turning away, onto a path unknown. Sera Gylldene snuffs out the last lantern lighting her office. She leaves a notice on her desk before shutting the door one final time. She doesn't look back as she leaves the nation she dutifully served for over 6 decades, which refused to her the same dedication.

Contest of Smiths The newly constructed Norland capital of Vjardengrad stands woefully incomplete. A grand new market square deserves a centerpiece befitting its status and glory. For this, the Kingdom calls upon the greatest smiths of the land to compete for the honor of crafting a golden statue of the former Master of Coin, Olaf Freysson. [!] An image of where the statue will be placed has been attached. The competition will take place before the Ashwood in Vjardengrad at the date below: February 22nd, 5pm EST Participants will be given a variety of metals to choose from, adequate tools and a workspace. Within a designated time limit, participants must create a metal work of art using all their skills and creativity. These items will be judged and the winner will be commissioned by the state to create the statue of Olaf Freysson. This commission comes with a payment of 300 mina. If you are interested in being a contender, please send a bird to the current Master of Coin, Sera Gylldene (IGN: ShinyBluePikachu - Discord: ShinyB).

Inn Gildhölla THE GILDHALL OF NORLAND Norland’s Gildhall is a place for nations to share and sell their wares in an effort to foster mercantile relations. Nations and their vassals are eligible to receive a FREE stall and decorate it how they see fit.

The New Dawn Festival Join us, people of Solheim, in welcoming new beginnings through celebration! In honor of the finished reconstruction of the Gylldene Fairgrounds, we are hosting a festival and inviting ALL to attend. [!] A drawing of the new fairgrounds has been attached alongside an updated map. (Look here for directions) OOC Time: January 11th, 6pm-9pm EST Reserve a Stall! We invite any and all craftspeople, bards and merchants to partake in this event and sell your wares. We have many tents and stalls of all sizes available! You do not need to be present at the festival to reserve a stall, although being present is preferred. If you would like one, please contact Mylo Malto-Gylldene (IGN: ShinyBluePikachu Discord: ShinyB) Alongside buying and selling, there are a variety of festival competitions and games to partake in. A preview of events is listed below. Bring Your Own Brew Competition Calling all of Solheim’s best brewers and distillers! There is no better way to celebrate than with a good drink! Bring your best alcoholic beverage to be judged by the people. The brew with the most votes, wins! 1st place: 150 mina 2nd place: 100 mina 3rd place: 50 mina Entries will be taken between 6pm-7pm EST Voting will be between 7pm-9pm EST. Winners will be announced afterwards. Golden Egg Hunt Win a special prize by finding all three hidden golden eggs! Each egg is hidden somewhere within the fairgrounds and has a unique number painted on. Find every egg, note down the numbers, and turn those numbers into Mylo Malto-Gylldene (ShinyBluePikachu) during the festival. The Golden Egg Hunt will take place from the beginning until the end of the festival. The Wish Tree In the mood for some wishful thinking? Partake in the festival’s Wish Tree! With new beginnings comes new opportunities, write down your desires and tie them to the Wish Tree’s branches. With some luck, they may just come true! Free paper will be provided!

I'm not completely adverse to adding more combat spells into Bardmancy, however I do not think these spells really fit with the magic. I like them as spells, but not for this lore. All of the combat spells in Bardmancy are strictly supportive and do not directly harm other people ie they stun or otherwise impair enemies and allies alike. Both of these cause physical damage to others, which is not something Bardmancy should touch, in my opinion. There is also a significant lack of drawbacks with both of these spells. In all of the combat spells Bardmancy currently has (including the Battlebard addition) the Bard caster suffers immediate drawbacks after casting (getting stunned, being made off balance, losing their voice, etc.) in exchange of a permanent debuff that a lot of other magics have. I do not think adding anymore additional combat spells to the existing lore is a good idea. HOWEVER, I completely understand the desire to have combat effectiveness without sacrificing the bard identity. Personally, I don't think the magic should stray from its supportive roots, but I do think a separate lore piece is necessary for a combat-focused bard magic to exist. Maybe a branch that would take up an additional slot? That would allow for bards (and especially teachers) the option to be a battle focused bard or not.