An Open Address to the Baja Community
By WarderDragon
Hello,
I’ve been asked to publicly address the issue of the Widow in an Open Letter to the Baja Shard Community. It is my understanding that several of you have been left confused and wondering as a result of recent events. Therefore it is my sole purpose and intention to clear up those questions for you and dispel any myths being spread. To those who have expressed concerns about the Widow and the roleplayer behind her, it is my most sincere hope that we can resolve this matter in a mature and adult manner that leaves each of us walking away satisfied at the end of the day. I don’t want anyone to feel like they are going to be blacklisted for expressing an alternative viewpoint.
The Widow has been a member of our shard for a number of years. I do not know exactly when she first appeared and made herself known to us, but I have been told by more than one individual that she goes as far back as 2004. That predates both the Baja Roleplaying and Event Alliance [BRPA] and the Baja Roleplaying Community [BRC]. Others have told me she goes back even further than that. The Widow has always played the same character; a maiden who would sweep the halls of Castle Britannia, and who only would make the rare appearance to the wider roleplaying community. These appearances usually occurred during times of war, famine, or great change within Britannia. She would offer her sagely advice and elderly wisdom to the characters who would listen, and would often sweep out her Tarot deck to add a little mystical insight into what the future might hold. There is even a book in the Partisans of Chaos Tower Library about the Widow. This entire time, the elderly woman spoke openly of a “husband being lost on a long journey to distant realms,” and the sacrifice he had made. This is where the characters name obviously derives from.
She made her most recent appearance shortly before the Spring Bazaar here on the Baja Shard. The character was actually something of a hit with roleplayers and non-roleplayers alike. I remember roleplayers who were visiting from Chesapeake that evening asking me who this mysterious woman was. They were amazed by the readings this woman was giving them, and the depth to which her character was being played. The players lined up, even after the Bazaar was over for that evening, to get a personal reading from this mysterious Gypsy. Seppo, Pallando, and Mesanna even received a Tarot reading that night.
The character then began to make her appearances with increasing frequency, which had not happened before. She began telling individuals of their future roles, and how they might help to topple Lord Casca and the Oppression. She visited every proclamation by the False King. The Widow essentially began to mobilize the roleplayers, my character amongst them, to prepare for what would eventually become the War of Shadows. She was also responsible for the Festival of the Way.
And all this time, we had been listening to her hints and speculating within the alliance as to who the character might be. Some suggested Sigrun. Others thought she was attempting to play the Gypsy who had helped the Avatar in the Ultima Series. I thought it was Xenka, a Prophetess from Dawnite History. It was not until we began to look up the History of Lord British that we began putting two and two together. It was then that we realized that she had been hinting, this whole time, that she was the Secret Lover of Lord British.
Obviously, there were those who scoffed at the idea. Wife of Lord British!? But others believed her. Ceno Cottonwood and Nicholas Tarrant didn’t know what to make of it personally, but as former Royal (Order) Knights of the Britannian Kingdom; it was their solemn duty to protect Lady Fazhnjell. She had earned their trust before, and they couldn’t live with themselves if the Child of Cantabrigian British was put in harms way.
I had my own personal reservations about this from the beginning. I belong to a philosophy of roleplaying where you never roleplay a character related to one or more of the famous background characters. It’s not because people don’t do it well sometimes, and even I’ve had to resist the temptation, but what we don’t want to see happen is everyone claiming to be Lord Blackthorn’s and Lady Minax’s secret love child. But then I thought about it from the flip side. I mean, why not? The roleplayers have been left to our own devices for almost a decade. The developers can’t even complete the fiction for Age of Shadows, so we’ve always come in and filled in the gaps ourselves. Europa and Siege Perilous have had roleplayed player Kings and Queens. So why not Baja? Lady British gives us a figurehead, an alternative to Casca.
In the weeks that followed her announcement, the neighboring (independent) sovereignties determined that if she was indeed Lord Cantabrigian’s Wife, then as such a time as Lord Casca’s demise, they would throw their support behind her and have her placed on the Throne of Akalabeth. Some did this out of honor. Others had Machiavellian schemes, such as trying to control her as their own personal puppet ruler. If you asked the roleplayers right now, Dawn was chosen because Fazhnjell was supported by the Sovereign Kingdoms. The Kingdom of Dawn and the Kingdom of Britannia have always had a mutually antagonistic relationship.
Whatever their reasons, as the months rolled on and the War of Shadows intensified, many characters began to refer to her as Lady British openly. This was never regarded with concern or a problem. I even have reports dating back halfway through the summer that mention her by that name. Why it has become a problem now is beyond me.
The problem itself didn’t arise until the Night of Lord Casca’s Death. Lord Casca had invited Lady Dawn to Castle Blackthorn. We came along. He dies. Who rules now?
We had already known by this point that Lady Dawn would become Queen. It was announced on Stratics. It had happened on other shards. The Developers knew that upon the event of Casca’s death, the first thing that most players would do would be to call for Lady Dawn to accept the Crown. Then she could “humbly” accept the Throne until such as time as Lord Cantabrigian British’s Return.
But our shard has always been different. We’ve always been the rebellious, complicated shard. What can I say? We’ve been the luckiest shard of all in terms of Event Moderators. They’ve always allowed us to be different. We didn’t just have a Royal Guard. We had the Partisans of Chaos, Operation Royal Flush, and the Britain Town Guard.
So while we knew Lady Dawn would become the Britannian Queen, our characters aren’t simply going to betray “Lady Fazhnjell British.” So we began calling for The Widow to accept the Crown. To my knowledge, The Widow was going to turn around and give Lady Dawn her blessing. She had practically foretold that the Lady Knight would become Queen. But amidst all the shouting by the players, Dawn chose to insult The Widow. Bad idea. Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad!
So in the days that followed, we have this story that comes out claiming that the nobles are calling for Lady Dawn. That she is the people’s choice. We know why they did it. The Event Moderators have to advance the storyline. They cannot put it on hold for the characters to switch their loyalties to Dawn. But that left a lot of the actual characters scratching their heads. A self-appointed Royal Council from no where, electing their own monarch? Sound familiar? Its not because we're trying to create problems. We're trying to be consistant with our characters and not let out-of-character information influence in-character actions.
Seppo pulled a couple of us aside that night, and explained that if it really becomes necessary, he can have Sherry the Mouse come out and claim the Widow is a liar and a madwoman. I can see his point. The Widow did put herself in this position. But at the same time, they have never expressed a problem with the claim before. It was only when the players rejected Dawn, who had been in hiding this whole time, for Lady Fazhnjell that it became a serious issue. This player has been around since before the Event Moderator Program.
I would rather come up with a solution that everyone can be happy with than destroy a player who has been around for five or more years. I don't think anyone here would like their characters backgrounds picked apart. Others talk of being blacklisted? We're talking about blacklisting the Widow for having an interesting character.
A couple days following this event, The Widow formally relinquished any claim she had to the Throne and became the Queen Dowager. The Queen Dowager is a formal title with no power or authority outside what her own charima can make. It is the title given to Queen’s whose husbands have died. So while a character like Nicholas Tarrant has now acknowledged Lady Dawn as his Queen, he still refers to Lady Fazhnjell in a respectful manner and polite manner.
I understand where a lot of folks are coming from. If she is the Queen Dowager, she should make sure to show the Queen Elect the proper respect. But I think a lot of people, the Event Moderators included, think that the Roleplaying Community is attempting to make Lady Fazhnjell the Queen. We are not.
We’re just trying to continue the story and not loose a good roleplayer in the process.
So I ask the Community, our Event Moderator Staff, and the Developers to please bear with us while we figure out a solution that works for everyone. And lets please cease from dragging these debates through the mud on a public forum. You don't have to like the character, but please show the player behind the character the same respect you would hope they would show you.
Warmest Regards,
Donavan "WarderDragon" Lacy,
The Baja Roleplaying & Event Alliance.
By WarderDragon
Hello,
I’ve been asked to publicly address the issue of the Widow in an Open Letter to the Baja Shard Community. It is my understanding that several of you have been left confused and wondering as a result of recent events. Therefore it is my sole purpose and intention to clear up those questions for you and dispel any myths being spread. To those who have expressed concerns about the Widow and the roleplayer behind her, it is my most sincere hope that we can resolve this matter in a mature and adult manner that leaves each of us walking away satisfied at the end of the day. I don’t want anyone to feel like they are going to be blacklisted for expressing an alternative viewpoint.
The Widow has been a member of our shard for a number of years. I do not know exactly when she first appeared and made herself known to us, but I have been told by more than one individual that she goes as far back as 2004. That predates both the Baja Roleplaying and Event Alliance [BRPA] and the Baja Roleplaying Community [BRC]. Others have told me she goes back even further than that. The Widow has always played the same character; a maiden who would sweep the halls of Castle Britannia, and who only would make the rare appearance to the wider roleplaying community. These appearances usually occurred during times of war, famine, or great change within Britannia. She would offer her sagely advice and elderly wisdom to the characters who would listen, and would often sweep out her Tarot deck to add a little mystical insight into what the future might hold. There is even a book in the Partisans of Chaos Tower Library about the Widow. This entire time, the elderly woman spoke openly of a “husband being lost on a long journey to distant realms,” and the sacrifice he had made. This is where the characters name obviously derives from.
She made her most recent appearance shortly before the Spring Bazaar here on the Baja Shard. The character was actually something of a hit with roleplayers and non-roleplayers alike. I remember roleplayers who were visiting from Chesapeake that evening asking me who this mysterious woman was. They were amazed by the readings this woman was giving them, and the depth to which her character was being played. The players lined up, even after the Bazaar was over for that evening, to get a personal reading from this mysterious Gypsy. Seppo, Pallando, and Mesanna even received a Tarot reading that night.
The character then began to make her appearances with increasing frequency, which had not happened before. She began telling individuals of their future roles, and how they might help to topple Lord Casca and the Oppression. She visited every proclamation by the False King. The Widow essentially began to mobilize the roleplayers, my character amongst them, to prepare for what would eventually become the War of Shadows. She was also responsible for the Festival of the Way.
And all this time, we had been listening to her hints and speculating within the alliance as to who the character might be. Some suggested Sigrun. Others thought she was attempting to play the Gypsy who had helped the Avatar in the Ultima Series. I thought it was Xenka, a Prophetess from Dawnite History. It was not until we began to look up the History of Lord British that we began putting two and two together. It was then that we realized that she had been hinting, this whole time, that she was the Secret Lover of Lord British.
I hosted a Roleplaying Tavern Night shortly before Treasures of Tokuno at the Cat’s Lair Tavern in (New) Britain. Casca had been making threats to invade the neighboring kingdoms, so there was some open talk of retaliating before he could strike. It was here that the Widow appeared and asked to make an announcement to the characters in attendance. Casca had been oppressing the Britannians for long enough, and she needed Britannia’s old allies to make sure he didn’t begin harming her people. She revealed that she was the Secret Wife of Lord Cantabrigian British, and that she had bore our former monarchs child, which could someday pose a threat to Lord Casca. She did not want the Crown, but she wanted to represent the Britannians not serving the False Monarch. She was the Lady Fazhnjell “Nell” British, and she needed our help to begin shipping food and supplies into the Capitol.
Obviously, there were those who scoffed at the idea. Wife of Lord British!? But others believed her. Ceno Cottonwood and Nicholas Tarrant didn’t know what to make of it personally, but as former Royal (Order) Knights of the Britannian Kingdom; it was their solemn duty to protect Lady Fazhnjell. She had earned their trust before, and they couldn’t live with themselves if the Child of Cantabrigian British was put in harms way.
I had my own personal reservations about this from the beginning. I belong to a philosophy of roleplaying where you never roleplay a character related to one or more of the famous background characters. It’s not because people don’t do it well sometimes, and even I’ve had to resist the temptation, but what we don’t want to see happen is everyone claiming to be Lord Blackthorn’s and Lady Minax’s secret love child. But then I thought about it from the flip side. I mean, why not? The roleplayers have been left to our own devices for almost a decade. The developers can’t even complete the fiction for Age of Shadows, so we’ve always come in and filled in the gaps ourselves. Europa and Siege Perilous have had roleplayed player Kings and Queens. So why not Baja? Lady British gives us a figurehead, an alternative to Casca.
In the weeks that followed her announcement, the neighboring (independent) sovereignties determined that if she was indeed Lord Cantabrigian’s Wife, then as such a time as Lord Casca’s demise, they would throw their support behind her and have her placed on the Throne of Akalabeth. Some did this out of honor. Others had Machiavellian schemes, such as trying to control her as their own personal puppet ruler. If you asked the roleplayers right now, Dawn was chosen because Fazhnjell was supported by the Sovereign Kingdoms. The Kingdom of Dawn and the Kingdom of Britannia have always had a mutually antagonistic relationship.
Whatever their reasons, as the months rolled on and the War of Shadows intensified, many characters began to refer to her as Lady British openly. This was never regarded with concern or a problem. I even have reports dating back halfway through the summer that mention her by that name. Why it has become a problem now is beyond me.
The problem itself didn’t arise until the Night of Lord Casca’s Death. Lord Casca had invited Lady Dawn to Castle Blackthorn. We came along. He dies. Who rules now?
We had already known by this point that Lady Dawn would become Queen. It was announced on Stratics. It had happened on other shards. The Developers knew that upon the event of Casca’s death, the first thing that most players would do would be to call for Lady Dawn to accept the Crown. Then she could “humbly” accept the Throne until such as time as Lord Cantabrigian British’s Return.
But our shard has always been different. We’ve always been the rebellious, complicated shard. What can I say? We’ve been the luckiest shard of all in terms of Event Moderators. They’ve always allowed us to be different. We didn’t just have a Royal Guard. We had the Partisans of Chaos, Operation Royal Flush, and the Britain Town Guard.
So while we knew Lady Dawn would become the Britannian Queen, our characters aren’t simply going to betray “Lady Fazhnjell British.” So we began calling for The Widow to accept the Crown. To my knowledge, The Widow was going to turn around and give Lady Dawn her blessing. She had practically foretold that the Lady Knight would become Queen. But amidst all the shouting by the players, Dawn chose to insult The Widow. Bad idea. Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad!
So in the days that followed, we have this story that comes out claiming that the nobles are calling for Lady Dawn. That she is the people’s choice. We know why they did it. The Event Moderators have to advance the storyline. They cannot put it on hold for the characters to switch their loyalties to Dawn. But that left a lot of the actual characters scratching their heads. A self-appointed Royal Council from no where, electing their own monarch? Sound familiar? Its not because we're trying to create problems. We're trying to be consistant with our characters and not let out-of-character information influence in-character actions.
Seppo pulled a couple of us aside that night, and explained that if it really becomes necessary, he can have Sherry the Mouse come out and claim the Widow is a liar and a madwoman. I can see his point. The Widow did put herself in this position. But at the same time, they have never expressed a problem with the claim before. It was only when the players rejected Dawn, who had been in hiding this whole time, for Lady Fazhnjell that it became a serious issue. This player has been around since before the Event Moderator Program.
I would rather come up with a solution that everyone can be happy with than destroy a player who has been around for five or more years. I don't think anyone here would like their characters backgrounds picked apart. Others talk of being blacklisted? We're talking about blacklisting the Widow for having an interesting character.
A couple days following this event, The Widow formally relinquished any claim she had to the Throne and became the Queen Dowager. The Queen Dowager is a formal title with no power or authority outside what her own charima can make. It is the title given to Queen’s whose husbands have died. So while a character like Nicholas Tarrant has now acknowledged Lady Dawn as his Queen, he still refers to Lady Fazhnjell in a respectful manner and polite manner.
I understand where a lot of folks are coming from. If she is the Queen Dowager, she should make sure to show the Queen Elect the proper respect. But I think a lot of people, the Event Moderators included, think that the Roleplaying Community is attempting to make Lady Fazhnjell the Queen. We are not.
We’re just trying to continue the story and not loose a good roleplayer in the process.
So I ask the Community, our Event Moderator Staff, and the Developers to please bear with us while we figure out a solution that works for everyone. And lets please cease from dragging these debates through the mud on a public forum. You don't have to like the character, but please show the player behind the character the same respect you would hope they would show you.
Warmest Regards,
Donavan "WarderDragon" Lacy,
The Baja Roleplaying & Event Alliance.
>]