And, why not look at your own guild, if you really want to see at what guilds roleplay more than others... A guild of Mages, who all act the excact same way, displaying a (in my opinion) stereotype evil, and arrogant attitude towards everyone in the Realms. How much roleplay is that? Just taking on the cliche, as a Morgul Mage, and roleplay as all the rest of the guild...Not much in my opinion...But, if people think that is what they want to do, fine by me. I just cannot see how that makes the Mages better, compared to anyone else. So critizing peoples roleplaying is really not going to lead anywhere.

Ohh, and one more thing...Hope is a foolish possession...? Well, I doubt you consider yourself foolish, so I assume that you do not possess hope... But how can anyone not possess hope? In every situation, you base your actions on what outcome you would like to happen, but one can never really be sure what an outcome will be. Then, do you not hope for the outcome you would like?

And how can hope be a foolish thing, when it can motivate men, to gather great resources and acomplish great things, that without them hoping they could do it, they would never have believed they could, and thus would never have started. I am not a great expert on these matters, but atleast it seems clear enough to me...

--
To the "Deliberatly anonymous":

This is a small segment from the Genesis rules regarding Player vs Wizards...

>In general, players and wizards should have very little interaction in any way other than formal or personal roles. Formally, guildmasters deal quite frequently with mortals and because of this must take special care to not give out improper information or take too great a role in the politics of the guild.<

I guess that was all...

Regards
Mortimor's Player

Just a few responses to your postings.
Nitramin of Ithilien, classing me as a betrayer of my people and the Valar truly shows your ignorance in who I am and where I am from... which is reassuring. The ranger intelligence network is less that what those of the Black Tower suspected. I am one of the few of the Kings Men to have survived the fall of Numenor, and the last to still walk these lands. Thus, my people are long dead, destroyed by the envy of the Valar, elves, and those who betrayed the last king of that isle, Pharazon the Golden (ironically calling themselves the 'Faithful'). By serving He who shall destroy these people, I avenge my people, staying ever faithful to their memory *msmile*.

Also, I would dare say you misinterpreted what the mage said when he told you 'hope is for the weak'. Hope is something that can be held in the hearts of the mighty as well, but truly, it is a possession of the foolish. As one other great mage once said, 'hope is simply the denial of reality'.

Dear Mr Boffin... indeed, names can be powerful tools in the right (or in your case wrong) hands, as I well know *msmile*. My words concerning that were simply a bait of sorts... unfortunately rangers are renown for their canniness, and I didn't really expect to get a bite from it. Still, knowing a name from rumour and ones exploits is often enough for the powerful to make use of it, so introductions from the renown rangers may not really make such a difference. Oh, and take care where you call the name Elbereth, my little fur-footed friend... for her power wanes as that of the Dark Lord grows stronger in these lands... and such mentions may only serve to enrage those of us who walk the shadows.

Still, I will stand by my words. The ranger guild has been a disappointment for me up until now. One may say 'i would be more sympathetic if one were to complain about individual rangers', but I say it is only through those individual rangers that have disappointed me that I make such a judgement. Decorum prevents me from naming them publicly, but if you truly are interested in those who have let your guild down, a simple querying mail to myself will suffice.

Dark travels all,
Locklear, Last of the Numenorians.

All this whining about role-play, just face it some are powerplayers some are roleplayers. However I would just want to whine a bit too. Always people talk about balance, have the Morgul mages been freed from this curse? I mean I have seen the most ridicolous things lately. I just wonder at what point a mage can make a Dragon tremble with fear so much that they are stunned. Some specials are removed because it is similair to other guilds specials, but the MM can brawl and plex.

Its fun, when I read the Tolkien books I understood that the Nazguls where supreme fighters and not nearly as good in magic as they appear in Genesis, but it seems to be a guild under untouchable wizzies who can code exactly what they want.

Downgrade the mages as you downgrade everyone else.

Btw Dep, I miss your notes on the messages.

I for one am sick of meddling wizards interfering in the actions of councils…

Isn’t there meant to be a code the prevents wizards from influencing the actions of us mortals?

You don’t need to look any further than the mages and the rangers to know what I mean…

Why is it considered acceptable for rangers to ‘role play’ as they wish, when it is not considered acceptable for evil guilds in Middle Earth to role play as they should?

Is it not acceptable role playing for a party of Angmar soldiers to ambush and kill a ranger that they find? Judging by the reactions when this used to happen, obviously not.

Is it not acceptable role playing for a powerful Morgul mage to unleash a spell of destruction upon a foolish ranger who attempts to interfere with the mage? Again, apparently not, since the mages have been hamstrung by their guild wizard.

If you are going to hide behind your role playing, let other guilds role play as they should too.

First the Army of Mordor:
Well, I have heard of it, but I doubt it will open any time soon. As I understood it, they started coding it, when they closed the Army of Angmar, and with the time it takes to code a guild, I guess we could wait quite a while.

About the "fire walkers", I guess you are referring to the Elemental Walkers (or what ever their name is):
And since that guild is a magic-user guild, and there is Magic guilds have been put on hold in Genesis. I guess they wont any time soon, either. Though I have met some of the play-testers awhile back. So maybe it's not that far from opening.

The Priests of Takhisis:
Same thing as above. With the Magic guilds being put on hold, I guess it will take a little while before it opens too. Though there should also have been play-testers from this guild.

The Dragon Army:
Well, I guess that is the guild, that biggest chance of opening soon. But I have yet to hear (or meet) any play-testers from that guild.

All the above is of course just speculations and things I have heard, so it might be completely wrong, but at least that is as much as I know. Hope you could use it, for the little it is..:)

Regards
Mortimor

I certainly share your applause for the roleplaying abilities of the Knights of Solamnia and the Shadow Union - indeed I would add to that list your own band of black-clad nasties lurking in the shadows of lost Minas Ithil.

I must disagree, however, with your characterization of the Rangers of the Westlands as a non-roleplaying guild. Were you directing your comments at individual rangers who do not play the part, I would be sympathetic. However, your expectations for what a mage-ranger interaction should be like are not in keeping with the world envisioned by Master Tolkien.

If you will recall the precedent of Aragorn, you will find that he did not parley with Nazgul. He rather appropriately drove them away with fire and the name of Elbereth, but otherwise avoided them. Do you not recall the advice given to my cousins about the black riders? Do not speak to them!

Given that the hounds of the Nameless bear the nine rings of power given to men, how foolish it would be for a ranger to march up and initiate a debate! Rather it seems to me entirely within character to carefully avoid the gaze of the Red Eye, primarily through stealth and grim reserve.

As for handing out introductions, I entirely concur with Nitramin. There is power in a name (as you, a sorcerer, undoubtedly know). It would be poor roleplay indeed for a ranger to give that power over to a sworn enemy - particularly an enemy who can send wicked crows as spies.

It is unfortunate that our interpretation of roleplay does not entertain you, mage. I'll be sure to give it that extra little dramatic flair the next time I drive you shrieking in terror from the name of Lady Elbereth.

Ever watchful,

Mr. Boffin
Master Scholar of the Rangers of Gondor

Concerning the note below and its comments about rangerly behaviour, my sentiments placed me somewhere between amusement and disgust, when I realized what I was reading. I found here a discourse written by a traitor to his own people and to the Valar, informing me of the correct conduct for a servant of those powers he himself has betrayed.

The Rangers are afraid, he states, and to this I must agree, I for one am afraid. I am of the Eldar, and I was not born with a great natural propensity for valour. I do not underestimate the Enemy. Serving in Ithilien, I witness his strenght daily, and I know that his armies outnumber those of the forces of Gondor and all of her allies. To be unafraid would be folly. When I still have hope, it is because I know that the true strenght of Gondor lies in powers beyond the comprehension of our Enemy or of those who serve him. His forces are motivated by fear, greed or hatred, but we fight for things far more basic, purer and stronger than those. We fight for the inherent right of the Free Peoples to be free, for that spark of independence which was kindled at the beginning of time from the Flame Imperishable.

In this knowledge I find courage to defy my fears. His is the fire of destruction and of vengeance, ours is that of defiance and of hope, and even if we should fall hope shall prevail. "Hope is for the weak" a mage said to me recently, when we met at the cross roads in Ithilien, and at his words my heart was encouraged. They cannot possibly comprehend what they are up against.

He calls it a sign of cowardice when Rangers do not introduce to every creature on the face of Arda. He also calls it unwillingness to fulfill our role. I could not disagree more with either statement. In the daily match of strenght to which we are subject, suspiscion and a discerning mind are important weapons. I do not fail to interact with my enemies, and I assume this would mean that I have never met that servant of the Lost Tower who posted below, but I would not dream of introducing to an Enemy a full introduction is in my eyes an act of trust. Instead, I always let them know that my name is Nitramin, and that I serve Ithilien. That may tell them who they are up against.

When I read the post below, my thoughts turned to many of the great Rangers I have had the honour of knowing. Among them is a deceptively small hobbit, soft spoken and not very impressive by outward appearence, yet I count him to this day among the most staunch and unyielding defenders of the Westlands. He was Captain of his company for about a year, yet his name has never been on any enemy list in the Realms. No other single person defines the true role of Ranger to me as much as he. And his habit of not throwing his name in the face of every dark stranger on the road played no small role is creating his character.

This note has already grown very long, but I'll conclude by saying that in fact, I have yet to meet a mage from the Lost Tower who introduces himself to me, although they never fail to demand the action from me. They often state their names in the same manner I do, and sometimes not even that much. But by now, I am mostly able to guess their names by their descriptions.

And lastly, our recruiting policy is at the moment not much less discerning than that of the Knights. Roleplaying is at the core of it, although we may disagree about what it takes to fulfill the role of a Ranger.

Nitramin Caleniel, Recruiter of Ithilien.