NotEvilAtAll

I think we should all live in one big city with a High School as its central feature.

Bywater made its last two activity checks but the most recent one was failed at 0.84%. I mentioned to the other main halfling leadership figure, @Hearth, to say that this is likely because we rallied for some events in Norland last weekend instead of exclusively doing things in our own village. ~Halflings in Norland, obtaining activity for something other than Bywater~ He admitted that I was right, because I (probably) was. At this moment I took a step back to think about my current server experience. 1: I am tied down to roleplaying in one location on all of Almaris. If I go outside of tile_97 where Bywater is located, I am throwing my activity metrics into the void where my playerbase cannot use it. If another nation or settlement plans a cool event, even one that I like and whose players I am friends with, it is not wise for me to attend it. 2: If my fellow halfling players and I do not get enough activity for our settlement, we will be evicted and forced to rebuild a new village near the end of this map. Whether or not we get anything settlement-related at the start of 9.0 is also up to our activity. At the moment, the answer to that question seems to be a no. 3: These activity checks and the drive to meet them do not make me happy. During the holidays when there were no activity checks bearing down upon us I was planning events and narratives with my fellow halflings and having a good time. Our raw numbers may be slightly higher than they were back then (mainly out of more people logging online and staying online out of fear of eviction), but it has not made me happy and I doubt it's making anyone else happy. I am going on hiatus because I am not happy. I am not happy with being tied down to a single area on the server and seeing myself required to spam events or see my community face eviction. This has not helped my character's narrative development nor has it helped my roleplay. We do not understand why evicting Bywater is even a consideration. Halflings will never disband their race due to losing a village. We will not spread our members far and wide into the ranks of other nations like when a human or elven location is destroyed and its members spread out as refugees. I hope other people can see that making halflings move from Village A to Village B (now a vassal!) does not improve server centralization. I've given up on halfling independence in 9.0. We'll be a vassal as was the case at the start of Almaris. All I ask of staff is to not evict Bywater in Almaris so that we don't have to make a new village that will only last for a few months before the map transition. I just don't want to give up my mineman freedom for the sake of the halflings either. I'll be gone for a few days as a break from being an activity slave. Might be a week, maybe more, maybe less, I don't know. Good luck out there everyone.

[!] A message is nailed to the Bywater Notice Tree Brewin'! ~Trading for Wool!~ We have a tavern here in Bywater, yet we hardly have enough fresh booze to stock it, what with all of the recent banditry and thievery stealing our alcohol reserves! If we just brew a little bit more, we'll have something to sate ourselves besides imaginary ale and non-real cider! Gather in the bar next Pumpkin Day. We've got work to do. ~Mimosa Applefoot ((Event 9 PM EST, Tomorrow (Tuesday) on February 20th, 2023 (2/21/2023). Located within Bywater, the home of the halflings on Almaris.))

“T’ey we’re probableh jus’ Gremlins. Dun confuse ‘em wif Goblins, vereh differen’ crea’ures!” says Mimosa Applefoot

"Oi feck! T'is ou' o' season! T'ah poor taste! 't ain' even tha' toime o' year!" comments a horrified Mimosa Applefoot, soon running off to seek help with curing the afflicted tree.

[!] Letters are spread around Almaris JUSTICE SHALL COME ~Capturing one of the Cultists (see below for better description of their appearance)~ ((skin blanked out b/c you should be a true gamer and use my ms paint drawing instead and not metagame based on a skin from a screenshot)) Recently, one of the Darkspawn-loving cultists returned to Bywater, complaining that our missive ruined their ability to settle any place else and that multiple darkspawn-hunting groups have been after them. Knowing this, as an act of mercy, us halflings of Bywater hereby offer a FAIR AND HONEST TRIAL to the cultist coven. The terms are simple. Come to trial and ye shall be offered a chance to make your case, argue your innocence, and make your pleas. Refuse to come to trial and ye shall be HUNTED BY ADVENTURERS AND DRIVEN INTO THE UNCIVILIZED WILDERNESS where unrepentant cultists belong. The following groups are called to observe the trial: ~The Druids of the Vale, who originally drove these cultists from their lands~ ~The Shamans of Krugmar, whose knowledge of darkspawn will serve the trial well~ ~The Paladins of Almaris, for similar reasons~ ~The halflings of Bywater, who will provide the jails and courtroom for the trial~ ~Adventurers and friendly bigguns who can keep the peace~ ~The Cultists themselves, who are to stand trial~ ~Any lawyers and legal experts of Almaris who wish to serve on the prosecution or defense~ In the event that ye cannae provide a lawyer of your own, us halflings can offer you a public defender. The trial is to take place next Pumpkin Day. Be there! ~Mimosa Applefoot, Mayor of Bywater. ((EVENT 1 PM EST TOMORROW, SUNDAY THE 19th OF FEBRUARY, 2023. Not guaranteed to occur, keep that in mind)) [!] An additional sheet of paper is attached: TO YE DARKSPAWN HUNTERS: In the event all of the cultists do not come to trial, use the below descriptions to find them and bring them to justice! SUSPECT 1: An elven man with grey pupils and fair skin colour. He usually wears a grey shirt with a green sash and darker grey pants. He was recently apprehended in Bywater yet escaped from jail due to poor jail security. I don't know much of his personality besides that he doesn't burn when aurum is thrown at him. He will try to run away from you if you ever see him. SUSPECT 2: An elven woman with pinkish purple hair equally colorful clothing, and darker skin tone. She is frequently barefoot. I've forgotten their eye color, t'was probably a bright color of some sort. She is missing a hand due to fights with Necromancers (I think it was? Or was it snakes?), probably over dominance or something. She has some old religious trauma or something. You could probably convert her back to the way of the light with enough effort. As it stands, she has some strange psychological complex which convinces her that her soul is damned no matter what and that she is beyond saving. This is a lie that the others tell to her and that she tells herself. SUSPECT 3: The blue-skinned horned devil is so iconic as to not need a drawing. He is a 'cursed child' or whatever, as the druids say. It has nothing to do with him being a darkspawn; he is cursed to look like a devil due to his unfortunate birth, yet he chose to walk the path of darkness later in life. This is the darkspawn to which the cultists pledge their souls out of fear of the afterlife. He is beyond saving. SUSPECT ???: There's probably more. I don't remember all of them. I will let you monster-hunters know if any of the suspects clears their name through the FAIR and JUST Bywater court system. ~Mimosa Applefoot, Mayor of Bywater.

"Slandah! All lies!" replies Mimosa Applefoot "Fake g-news!"

"Wai', bigguns marry t'eir cousins?" questions Mimosa Applefoot

[!] A new paper hangs from the Bywater Quest-Board Investigations Earlier today, a frog hopped towards me and whispered in my ear of the coming danger to Bywater. We all are well aware of the cultists who abused our hospitality to hide among us, yet not one of us knows what strange things these people were hiding. They have left our village, yet their cottage remains. I am commissioning a group of adventurers to search the cottage and find anything off about it. This is a level B quest, suitable for beginner adventurers. May Knox save us all! ~Mayor of Bywater, head secretary of the Quest Office Mimosa Applefoot. ((8 PM EST, Tomorrow on Thursday the 16th of February, 2/16/2023. Located within Bywater, the home of the halflings on Almaris. Directions to Bywater: ))

"Oi'm mos' surprised tha' nay more folks vo'ed fer Dolleh Peregrin! She's ah Peregrin! Tha' famileh t'is well known for producin' lo's o' leadahs" remarks the newly re-elected Mayor, Mimosa Applefoot.

[!] A note is pinned to the Notice Tree of Bywater! Election Results! ~One of the new gardens!~ The election has concluded, and the results have been tallied up! Mayor: Mimosa Applefoot: 5 votes Xob Wobson: 0 votes Dolly Peregrin: 1 vote Sheriff: Breasal Nimblefoot: 3 votes Taylor Woodrun: 4 votes The results are conclusive! I, Mimosa Applefoot, shall continue to be your Mayor, and Taylor Woodrun is to be the new Sheriff! Knox bless Bywater's Democracy! Glory to the Wee, and to our Republic! ~Newly Re-elected Mayor and local halfling, Mimosa Applefoot

[!] You find a note in your aviary mailbox. A Warning! A group of deceptive, darkspawn-loving cultists have been running from settlement to settlement to escape judgement. They are bitter and resentful of the afterlife and believe they will find no place within it, and so they offer their souls to darkspawn to “save” them in a crude mockery of the natural order. Do not listen to their pleas. They are not being persecuted for their birth or appearance, but rather actively choose to walk the path of damnation and exile and refuse any attempts to save their souls through traditional methods. They will take advantage of your hospitality and good nature to continue their abhorrent beliefs and shelter darkspawn with them. Do NOT let a purple-haired elven woman named “Kira” or “Phaedra” (as the Druids call her) enter your settlement! Be wary of the blue-skinned horned devil that they offer their souls to! May Knox help us see through the deception! Do not let yourselves be deceived as we have! -Mimosa Applefoot, local halfling and Mayor of Bywater.

[!] A note is pinned to the Bywater Notice Tree Gardening Plots! ~The newly restored fields of Bywater, no longer a fair area~ The fair is over, and with its passing our daily lives return to us. There is still more land to clear and put to good use. To anyone willing to pitch in some labor, I'll offer them a garden plot to grow vegetables, spices, herbs, and whatever else comes to mind. Knox bless the shire! ~Mimosa Applefoot ((Event 8 PM EST, Tomorrow on Tuesday the 14th of February, 2023. Located within Bywater, the home of the halflings on Almaris. Directions to Bywater: ))

Name: Mimosa Applefoot Race: Halfling Mayor Vote: Mimosa Applefoot ( ) Xob Wobson ( ) Dolly Peregrin (x) Sheriff Vote: Breasal Nimblefoot (x) Taylor Woodrun ( )

[!] A note is pinned to the Bywater Notice Tree The Second Bywater Election! ~Fun times at the fair!~ Now that enough candidates have come forwards, it is time for us all to vote on them and see who shall lead our Grand Republic! Each halfling, gnome, biggun resident, and officially registered Adventurer is to receive one vote each for both Mayor and Sheriff positions. Votes are to be cast through the following prompt: Name: Race: Mayor Vote: Mimosa Applefoot ( ) Xob Wobson ( ) Dolly Peregrin ( ) Sheriff Vote: Breasal Nimblefoot ( ) Taylor Woodrun ( ) May the best candidates win! Voting will run for three Pumpkin Days, and the votes tallied at the end. ~Current Mayor of Bywater, Mimosa Applefoot

[!] You find a note in your aviary mailbox... T'a Grand Bywater Fair! Fair time! Fair time! Come one, come all! Here in Bywater, home of peace, prosperity, and all the gnomes and halflings of the realm, the Fair of all Fairs is soon to be held! The following will take place: ~Shogging~ ~Adventuring (Courtesy of the Quest Office)!~ ~A Drinking Competition!~ ~A Fire Pit!~ ~Live Music!~ ~Shops Galore, From Several Cultures & Races!~ ~And Finally, A Pie-Eating Competition!~ ~The High-Elven Stall!~ T'is to be a fair that ye cannot miss! Show up 'n Bywater next Pumpkin Day and you will not be disappointed! ~Mayor Mimosa Applefoot. ((Tomorrow at 7 PM EST, Friday the 10th of February, 2/10/2023. Located within Bywater, the home of the halflings on Almaris. Directions: ))

I’ll make one and then get back to you

Add Shire Reckoning (time since 1200, the founding of Dunwood) and whatever the Haense calendar is. I should add new month names to the Shire Reckoning calendar tbh

This is the second time the elves have threatened war with the orcs and the orcs have resolved things through diplomacy. Why are the Elves, who should be reluctant to die in battle due to the difficulties of raising another generation of warriors with their infertility curse, so eager to start a war? And why are orcs, who suffer from the curse of rage, able to solve things diplomatically instead of going berserk? Elves roleplay the Orcish curse better than the orcs do. Likewise, orcs roleplay the Elvish curse of infertility better than the elves do. You never hear of large orcish families, yet huge elven families occur quite often in LoTC history. Elves are the second most active race and live in huge cities with high populations whereas orcs are confined to a single nation and have the lowest numbers out of the main 4 races. Thus, orcs roleplay the infertility curse better than the elves do. It’d make more roleplay sense if orcs were actually the infertile ones. My modest proposal is to switch the curses around. Give elves rage, make orcs infertile. Thus, elves can have all the giant families they’ve ever wanted without fear of the ST and orcs don’t have to worry about not being “true” orcs if they aren’t actively murderhobo’ing. This suggestion is only 50% a meme. Other options include banning everyone in West Hub for FailRP and making elves a CA race.

[!] A note is pinned to the Bywater Notice Tree! More events 'n Bywater! ~Snow's Maiden~ ~Slaying the Terror-Lizard!~ Adventure awaits ye! Yet another monster has been spotted in Bywater, this one from the lake near the windmill, threatening the builders who're working on the Festival Grounds! It must be stopped! ((7 PM EST, Wednesday the 8th of February, 2/8/2023. This is a HalflingQuest eventline, expect adventure and danger! Link to HalflingQuest rules in the spoiler below:)) ~Malin's Welcome~ ~Steamed Jam~ Baking! We must bake more bread for use in the fairl! All able-bodied halflings are called to work the ovens 'till they drop! ((8 PM EST, Thursday the 9th of February, 2/9/2023)) ~The First Seed~ ~The new Fairgrounds. It is empty, yet it holds much promise.~ This be the day of the Grand Village Fair! I'm nay entirely sure of all the activites that will be done in this fair, but it's sure to be a lot! ((7 PM EST, Friday the 10th of February, 2/10/2023)) ~The Grand Harvest~ Uh, I dunnae, perhaps we do another Shogging Tournament at this time! ((5 PM EST, Saturday the 11th of February, 2/11/2023)) ~Sun's Smile~ ~Bywater's newest big-folk resident~ Village Build-A-Thon! Make cottages for new biggun residents, expand your burrow, turn fields into farms, you name it! ((4 PM EST, Sunday the 12th of February, 2/12/2023)) Knox save Bywater! Knox save the wee! ~Mimosa Applefoot, Mayor of Bywater

Mimosa Applefoot counts the demands: "Le's see... weh go' two... den three... den four... den five.... den two again... wha' 'n t'ae name o' Knox?" "T'is is wha'cheh ge' when yeh defund public educa'ions!" She'd put away the missive, heading back to the Knoxist Church to praise the Spirits.

Name: Mimosa Applefoot Race: Halfling! What are ye running for (Mayor or Sheriff?): Mayor (again) Anything you'd like to add: Bywater shall grow larger!