James

It was terrible then, and it’s worse now. The nostalgia only applies to the opinion on free-build vs region-build and crafting plugin vs. no crafting plugin. The staff is more-or-less the same with managers and more transparency. The LT is still deeply flawed. They just spend more time technical writing what they’ve done now, which just detracts from the work of the other members.

My prayers are out to you z3

I'm against removal of freedom of speech in any manner, and I wish the FMs didn't take your opinion away, Grim. I agree with you for the most part on the writing, and that the stereotype for the generalized holy magic roleplay that has plagued lotc which needs to be addressed. I disagree completely on the stigma that surrounds the guild, which was fueled by individual conflict and doesn't currently represent the guild adequately nor appropriately. The reputation will only stay besmirched due to stubborn people who refuse to accept change and keep residual hate based on something that had nothing to do with the present.

LOTC is a roleplay world, one where storyline is supposed to be key and essential to the plot. It makes absolutely no sense to change or create lore without a reason in-game even if it's driven by out-of-character mechanical changes within the effect of powers present. That said, while the ominous reason implied is intriguing there was no direct answer as to why the change in magic came from a lore perspective. I do believe that it was properly referenced within the context of the writing however, just without blatant meaning which is asinine. It is important to keep consistency in a vibrant world and to do that everything must have a reason in order to keep out arbitrary roleplay that is fundamentally flawed. Ascended lore from aegis remained intact into early Athera including minor changes from Asulon which did take precedent at the time. The changes were forced by loremasters in late Athera without consequential reason besides "please nerf". Not only did they not come up with a reason in writing for as to why the orders magic suddenly had a drastic change, they continually ignored the playerbase on multiple accounts. While wanting to change powers to keep the game balanced is noble, doing so at the expense of needless, drastic, change is ridiculous. That who forms the assertion should give the remedy in a fair manner, whereas the remedy thus far by our lore team (into vailor at least) was to remove it rather than fix it. The Ascended removal was unwarranted and completely fueled by OOC conflict. That said, I agree that the lore has no place without explanation for the changes. I brought the Ascended back and I have qualms about change in lore without an in-game reason, though this isn't to discount the extreme harassment present on the server towards the order which has no significant basis. Nor is this at all evident to the idea that I'm opposed to change, just change without necessary explanation. The premise of how the order is treated is based on player conflict with players who no longer exist in the order has fueled horrible roleplayers into taking an out-of-character bias which has been pushed into an in-character agenda against the order. That said I wholeheartedly think it would of been a good idea to put more context into the changes that are taking place and how they'll affect how the order functions for simplicity of sufficient world-view reasoning as to why these changes should take place at all. Whether there will be change at all isn't a give-in, though this doesn't discount the idea that it needs premise. The reasons presented within the text are too vastly ominous and vague to actually pull meaning from as an outside reader or to the lore masters you are presenting this to. @Jondead P.S. While it wasn't overtly referenced that Aeriel was the presiding deity of the moon, it has been indirectly implied multiple times. Not only in the rewrite post they listed, but in the writings and the idea that Dungrimm was meant to be the guardian who worked for Aeriel to secure the soul stream and holds his palace on the moon. Multiple other indeterminate places described the idea as well in past lore, however it wasn't something that had been prevalent. The old lore of the three primordials also had reference of the original mortals coming from the primordial of the moon which is of important consequence as Aeriel is the arch-aengul of souls.