I am Howlando, AMA

[Howlando]

I often feel as if in EFU there is a lot of rumor and misconceptions floating around. Rumors start, get passed on, and the truth of something gets highly distorted. Consider this thread an opportunity to ask me any question you like, and if at all possible I will try to answer as candidly as I possibly can.

Rules:
Questions must relate to EFU sometimes
I won't spoil anything current, but I don't mind questions relating to past plots or events
No sycophantic questions

Consider this an opportunity for clarification.

[Eschatology]

You are known for playing the only Blackguard on EFU. This is spoken of as an insurmountably high standard, in which you fought the entire server (and escalating challenges from dungeon masters and players both) for about three months.

While I cannot see myself ever playing that kind of character effectively...

What do you think it would actually take for a player to earn that prestige class? And what kind of role would they have in the current dynamic of our server?

[Damien]

Hopefully I've kept it polite, ignore the question if not...

Once a major plot is decided is it ever up to the player? Ignoring slight changes they may impact on. I take the hbala versus steps situation, where ultimately 'killing' her meant 3k exp.

Was azzam really a thrall? Or was he framed?

The whole zodiac stuff for the stargazers ended up being a complete disaster with the fabled sword disappearing off screen. Did you hope/plan for something more?

The order after the first iteration were a bad joke, do you regret them coming back? Granted their literature was glorious.

Was it ever actually possible to become a ruby?

Was it ever possible to awake the Noor?

Maybe a sensitive one but will you ever allow Johannes back? I'd forgive him

old port was a great city, and I found it really upsetting/disappointing it was never explored more. I mean you really didn't get to go there much, was there a reason for this?

Do you find it amusing how often I find your treasures/plots?

Are there plans to progress the setting within the next 3-6 months?

Is it the case for major power positions you prefer npcs and dm pcs because everyone knows what they can/can't do? I've found being neither I've been boxed in and not really able to make decisions that maybe affect how the dms are planning the plot to go down so don't let me effectively make my own mistakes.

What do you resent most in terms of player performance?

[Howlando]

You are known for playing the only Blackguard on EFU. This is spoken of as an insurmountably high standard, in which you fought the entire server (and escalating challenges from dungeon masters and players both) for about three months.

While I cannot see myself ever playing that kind of character effectively...

What do you think it would actually take for a player to earn that prestige class? And what kind of role would they have in the current dynamic of our server?

I was not aware I was "known" for such, but... yes. Surprising first question!

I do not at all think it is any kind of insurmountable challenge.

There have been plenty of characters that could have been blackguards, but had different kinds of builds. You can look up blackguard stats yourself, it isn't that exceptional - and it was worse back when you had to get 5 ranks of hide and cleave and so on. The requirements are fairly straight forward though, and I think very much achievable by a good player regardless of DM support.

1) Have a reputation as a feared villain. - This is very much "you know it when you see it," sometimes when a true villain comes along the whole server is talking about them, they are *known*, etc.

2) Be the leader of an evil organization - that is actually active, has members, is known about, etc. Probably here is where I had an unfair advantage in that I started the concept with someone else and in turn we attracted a degree of DM attention that other players picked up on and thus wished to get involved with. It is certainly true that in EFU the best way to run an actual organization is to be online a lot and always have interesting things going on so other people want to get involved.

3) Get the support of an evil outsider. - This part does require a DM, but given the first two shouldn't be too difficult to arrange. Generally the player should pitch an idea in the app. Personally, I think it's cooler if the NPC is more manageable and not super powerful (i.e. no Blackguards of Orcus).

Rinaldo served "the Eye in the Mirror" that was a basically completely vulnerable and nearly powerless Rakshasa or Devil. If the mirror was ever destroyed (as it nearly was) he would die instantly.

For another blackguard aspirant I DM'ed for I had an embalmed embryo of a Bhaal Spawn in a bottle that would have been his patron.

There are certain texts and tomes hinting as to a variety of different kinds of minor evil outsider NPCs that could perhaps play such a role, and again an interesting and fresh idea in an app would go a long way towards having such approved.


In terms of your question regarding a Blackguard during the current dynamic of the server, I think it's more useful to forget "Blackguard" (which after all is just a PRC) and think more of "villain." And I think there are lots of possibilities. The key to playing a good villain is to be memorable, to have an interesting and concrete agenda that you can actually work on implementing every day (i.e. control a district and bring your own ruthless order to an otherwise lawless place; to exert influence over every act of killing; etc). But I think it's more important that players find characters they enjoy and want to stick with rather than aspire towards "being a big villain."
 

[Howlando]

Once a major plot is decided is it ever up to the player? Ignoring slight changes they may impact on. I take the hbala versus steps situation, where ultimately 'killing' her meant 3k exp.

Here is the honest truth: the story has a life of its own that is beyond the control of a DM or a player. I really think this is true. Usually we sketch out some ideas for a destination, some possibilities, etc. But very often things happen in an unexpected way and certainly there are often opportunities for players to play a big role in things along the way.

Examples:
A lot of the stuff that ended with the EFU:M end plot was not really planned or was heavily changed according to player action (such as, for example, you finding the CROWN. Which we did not really think would happen.)

The Crystal War Plot, which I am well aware ended up being a huge source of angst for the community in general, at least was an ATTEMPT to have something be fully decided by player action. In the end, OOC concerns and also perhaps the fact that both sides were so engaged for victory made things not go so great; but overall I still think the plot was cool.

Of course there are some events that realistically will go according to plan. Usually these are the culminating events. For example, when the Stewards decided to enter H'bala's tower to kill her (having failed to pick up on the various breadcrumbs and hints - which did exist - that actually it was all a giant trap) there was probably no amount of speed potions that could have reversed her victory. Likewise, the final rituals of the Transcendent Conclave/Animation of Etorix were going to happen once everything that needed to happen to set it up took place. But... with both there were opportunities to derail the event BEFORE the event. With the conclave, a certain character had the sealed heart of Null that would have prematurely sent the Conclave crashing to the earth if he opened it before presenting it to Razul - I was fully prepared to respect such a decision. Likewise, with the animation of Etorix, there were many opportunities for my not-so-subtle NPC with his very bright PURPLE jacket to be stopped.

Of course, in the end, I personally am glad that both events happened the way they did. But it better if there's some possibility for things to go in a very different way.

Was azzam really a thrall? Or was he framed?

He was a thrall but only for a short time.

The whole zodiac stuff for the stargazers ended up being a complete disaster with the fabled sword disappearing off screen. Did you hope/plan for something more?

I can't remember the details now. But the Sword of the Zodiac played a cool role IMO for a while at least, and that is fine for me. It was a powerful weapon, and it's fun to have truly EPIC things in EFU sometimes. At this moment I don't remember what happened with it in the end, but at least it was used and had some events related to it.

The order after the first iteration were a bad joke, do you regret them coming back? Granted their literature was glorious.

​I personally never had much to do with the Order. But I really liked the role that the Order played in the final events of EFU:M. I think the scene with all the past Order PCs rising from the Lake and marching on H'bala's tower was glorious. Then having the screenshot vision with Barakat confronting the Grand Master was really fun. Honestly, I think that whole series of events was maybe one of EFU's best.

Was it ever actually possible to become a ruby?

Yes, it wasn't even that hard. We had one kind of... the PRC was set up that you had different ranks, with starting as a spy but then (having proved yourself as a spy) advancing to being a known Ruby with various perks.

Was it ever possible to awake the Noor?

They were awoken, they marched on H'bala's tower, and they tore it asunder to reveal the horrible Doom Tree within. It was very much a Tolkienesque Ents March on Isengard moment with perhaps a less happy ending.

Maybe a sensitive one but will you ever allow Johannes back? I'd forgive him

I wish him well in his life but probably he will not come back to EFU. He certainly contributed a lot of positive things to the server and in the end I think that overshadows the damage that he did.

old port was a great city, and I found it really upsetting/disappointing it was never explored more. I mean you really didn't get to go there much, was there a reason for this?

Some things are best kept slightly mysterious/off screen. Old Port was cool but it was better slightly off screen. I enjoyed running events there and I do agree that it is a shame that the King's Oubliette was never built properly. Fully developing Old Port as a setting would have been a mistake. I liked it a lot as a romantic and mysterious place that PCs sometimes visited for some specific purpose (i.e. on a mission to speak with Ojo, or exploring the Merchant's Quarter, etc....)

Do you find it amusing how often I find your treasures/plots?

I think just twice?

Are there plans to progress the setting within the next 3-6 months?

EFU's story is continuously evolving.

Is it the case for major power positions you prefer npcs and dm pcs because everyone knows what they can/can't do? I've found being neither I've been boxed in and not really able to make decisions that maybe affect how the dms are planning the plot to go down so don't let me effectively make my own mistakes.

I'm not sure I understand this question. Obviously NPCs will usually play the role of a more powerful position. For one thing, NPCs don't have turnover every few weeks. I don't think DM PCs usually fill this role either; maybe occasionally? But it's not part of some kind of plan, it's more that we have some DMs (as you know) who aren't active with DM'ing sometimes decide to play instead - and, having been selected from among the best of players, naturally do well as PCs.

I'm not sure what decisions you're thinking of in your own case so can't comment. Usually I'd say we are happy for players to make their own mistakes...

What do you resent most in terms of player performance?

Sometimes I wish players were more well adjusted and happier on an OOC level. I understand EFU can be frustrating but let's not forget that it's all just meaningless 1s and 0s. Being pleasant to deal with really goes a long way!

[Nezgul]

What's the best advice you can give to someone who is new and wants to contribute to the server in some meaningful/entertaining way?

[Knight Of Pentacles]

What would a crystal adherent victory have looked like?

What would a Ascension and Ibrandul Victory have looked like?

What was the Ordered Mind?

What happened to Brother Wiloud?

Where is the Man in the Mask?

Where is the Black King Barakat?

What happened to Grimfael Corval that led to his death?

What was the mist?

Where did Trenada die?

Will the tomb of Arhenius Aberdenn ever make a reappearance?

Why did Torizeala (sp?) turn against Hagrimm the Artist?  What precisely was Hagrimm's Art?

Can you name all the famous Ymphian Netherese archmages and their crimes?

Why was Prassix incarcerated?

What events led to the Nightrisen?

Why did the Warden team up with Porenius?

How many PC Nightrisers were there?

Will the Steward's faction ever be shelved in favor of a new take on "nature"?

What was the Forgotten Circle's Heart of Life?

What are some faction ideas you've always wanted to implement?

Favorite and least favorite factions?

Was there ever a time you considered ending EFU?

[Howlando]

What would a crystal adherent victory have looked like?

The Spellguard would have been forced to retreat into the Machine. Sanctuary would have become an rigidly intolerant state oriented towards feeding the Crystal and destroying Aberrations, protected by enormous Crystalline Golems and other such creatures.

What would a Ascension and Ibrandul Victory have looked like?

Had the Ascension been victorious, I planned some kind of mass pilgrimage event in which PCs would have been guided by an enormous golden hand of Finder to follow the actual path used by Frederick Bresley, leading ultimately to Ymph and his tomb, there to recover his bones. I can't remember exactly what was planned with Ibrandul, I think there was discussion of some kind of redesign of the UD to make it so the tunnels approaching towards Sanctuary were to become a kind of complex labyrinth.

It's worth noting that often our ideas are beyond the grasp of implementation though! "Dark Oozey Venice Lower" had some other things connected which perhaps haven't fully come into fruition.

What was the Ordered Mind?

I suppose a dogma or philosophy of training the mind to be well ordered, stable, and impervious to aberrant or psionic influence. Something like this.

What happened to Brother Wiloud?

I can't remember at this moment.

Where is the Man in the Mask?

Good question.

Where is the Black King Barakat?

Good question.

What happened to Grimfael Corval that led to his death?

I can't remember.

What was the mist?

The Mist is the Mist is the Mist. But I think Owain's speech was fairly useful in understanding it.
[hide="His speech... REVELATIONS"][Enter King Owain I, in a state of undress, wearing only the great Crown and holding a medium sized carrying sack, delivering

a speech from the balcony of the Last Keep...]


My dear people, my dear friends, my dear villagers of Mistlocke....

Here we are, then, on Hammer 23rd. Here we are on that fateful day.... in which the great horror of the Lichess, H'bala the

Maiden, was released some years past... and has long been prophesied to once more exit her Tower and attack the last bastion

of the living upon Ymph....

... and today, it seems, is the day that I shall address you all, in order to discuss how I shall at last defeat the greatest

villain of the Shrouded Isles and perhaps even the world.

... you should know that I never asked to be given this Crown, nor have I ever truly coveted the strange powers it grants.

Just as with Frederick Bresley before me, it is the by the virtue of modesty and spirit of brotherhood by which the mind will

not break under the great strain of the Crown of the Isles..... and if I possess any virtue, it is one of humility, and it is

this characteristic that has thankfully allowed my own sanity to remain so well preserved under the great burden of this

Crown's many insights.

[The King takes a moment put away the sack and to lovingly caress the severed, bloody head of dear Uncle Gadyw Aberdenn and

kiss it gently on the cheek....]

... I have further benefited from the loving council of dear Uncle Gadyw, and although my councilors have repeatedly advised

me to keep his learned presence upon my Court a secret from my people, as you all know I am a youth of tender age and

consequently benefit greatly from the wisdom of my Uncle's many years of experience. Despite his checkered past, I am sure you

shall all forgive us this... this one indulgence.

But let us instead turn to the question of Ymph's many and great villains....

For the story of our age, I fear, is one of scrabbling under the shadow of those Great figures who came before us so long ago,

when this Island was but one far-flung outpost of that great Empire of Mankind, the Netherese.

For we simple folk of the present age are being ensnared within their plots and schemes, the webbing of their long and bitter

rivalries entangling us all.

"Tezzeret the Prophet" who we knew as Razul. "Hagrimm the Artist" who we knew as the Grandmaster of the Numinous Order.

Lotheri Sanq, the Imperator-Warden. Barakat Djaeranus the Darkener. And of course Shylae who we know as the dread H'bala, her

armies even now preparing for the march upon Mistlocke... and there are many others.

If these names are not familiar to you, they should be, for they are the names of some of those old figures whose grasping

ambition and labyrinthine schemes in their totality have brought us perilously close to the End.

... yet I have promised, as your King, to at last defeat the great villain of Ymph.


This great villain has long haunted our village, long caused countless woe among our people. The motivation of this villain

has not been understood by its victims. Its motivations is not even fully understood even by the surviving two of four great

wyrm-philosophers that have studied it for time immemorial.

This villain feeds upon our petty dramas and pains and passions and loves and joys; it suckles upon the misery of my people

even as it has warded us from evil.

Yes, certainly, I speak of course of the Mist, that great primordial thing that has dwelled upon Ymph since the earliest age.

And I declare to you now that it is this Mist whose tendrils snake through our hearts and mind and inspire us to works of

great good and evil.... all in the pursuit of its insatiable, mystic hunger... for it has feasted upon the drama of the

villain and hero alike, indifferent whether pain or joy!

No longer should you look to the Mist to preserve you even as it inspires those very villains that threaten you with ever

greater acts of depravity!

Arhennius Aberdenn.... Sagely Founder of Mistlocke, Sire of the Caermyn and Aberdenn lines both.... whose horrific dreams of

the End were so puissant as to give birth to the Curse of Old Stones, wished the Last Keep to be a Refuge for the True End. So

it must be.

But for you others, you heroes of the Isles... I declare the End of the Mist in the Shrouded Isles. No longer shall you be

locked in the Mist, toys of an elder thing.

I shall accomplish what none before me has done, and bend it to my will.

As for H'bala, I must warn you that she is on the cusp of her last and greatest strike... there is only one method by which

you shall defeat that which comes. To unlock what you will need, you shall find the last and necessary key-stones in the

precise place as the final destination of all former Champions of the Mist...

I wish you the best of luck in dealing with the Lichess and the others evils of these once-shrouded isles.

Until we meet again.

[waves hands feebly, and the Last Keep is abruptly obscured with thick mist; before disappearing altogether][/hide]

Where did Trenada die?

Did he? Interesting.

Will the tomb of Arhenius Aberdenn ever make a reappearance?

Who knows...

Why did Torizeala (sp?) turn against Hagrimm the Artist? What precisely was Hagrimm's Art?

No comment here.

Can you name all the famous Ymphian Netherese archmages and their crimes?

Not off the top of my head. In some cases the crimes were just being on the wrong end of some dispute with the authorities of Netheril and thus being sent into exile. Generally experimentation in the wrong direction. Perhaps this isn't fully canonical but I guess the EFU version of Netheril was mostly fairly conservative about magical experimentation.

Why was Prassix incarcerated?

Interesting question.

What events led to the Nightrisen?

I think this was fairly well revealed in EFU:M/A. Porenius experimentations & Netherese Soldiers/Guards signing on for eternal service.

Why did the Warden team up with Porenius?

Interesting question.

How many PC Nightrisers were there?

I can't seem to look it up on EFUSL but I suppose more than 12 or so.

Will the Steward's faction ever be shelved in favor of a new take on "nature"?

Interesting question.

What was the Forgotten Circle's Heart of Life?

I can't remember exactly off the top of my head. It was something. Other DMs dealt more with the Forgotten Circle although I thought it was quite cool.

What are some faction ideas you've always wanted to implement?

There are a lot... but for example, I was tempted to give Arthur Vlach a little PC faction group ("Wearers of Purple"). But then I realized I didn't have the time or inclination to try to make his plot efforts something too diluted by PC allies. For one thing, such groups always have the problem of players quitting their characters, dying prematurely, or getting impatient with the pace of progress. There have also been quite some factions that I wanted to make cool but kind of fell flat for whatever reason - mostly my own tendency to get distracted and not be fully invested with EFU all the time. I've never felt that we've done crime very well with factions in EFU; which has been something of a regret.

Favorite and least favorite factions?

I have a weakness for nostalgia and reminiescence so I have a fondness for the original four of Tigereyes, Seekers, Spellguard, and Sanctuary Watch. Developing these little groups (with the rest of the original team), having a kind of story and plot related to each of theme, a clear agenda... it was just very nice and I have fond memories of it. Particularly I think setting the original Watch up as being this corrupt organization led by this grotesque and petty burucreat who was secretly involved in a slaving ring with the idea that players would soon figure it out and take the relatively simple steps to reveal his corruption and incompetence. It ended up taking a lot longer than any of us thought, but it was still cool.

I also like some of the temporary factions that get involved in pushing a specific plot. The Followers of Sanq, for example.

No least favorite factions come to mind immediately.

Was there ever a time you considered ending EFU?

Yes, for example there was a time where it was thought that EFU:M would be the last chapter. I'm glad that didn't happen, I think in the long run EFU is worth it.

[Certified Retrievals]

Rabbanatha the Pure,
Glaurophynaxia the Fierce,
Abanaxra the Sleeper,
and ????

[Black_TopHat]

Whats your Favorite color scheme/uniformed faction?

What was your favorite quest to spice?

Do you think spice or full blown events are more rewarding for the DM/PCs

What's your favorite evil humanoid (Goblin, Gnoll, Orog etc)

Whats your favorite mercenary group?

[abstinence]

What are, in your opinion, the essential elements for telling a good story in a setting like EfU?

Are there any plans to add more huge puzzles like Entsenhung (sp?) to the server?

What direction would the server have gone in if the Seven Steps of Sanq were not completed?

What motivated you to devote so much time and effort to EfU?

Will the Mist play any sort of role in future plots? H'bala? Ymph?

If EfU could be transferred over to a newer, shinier platform, would you consider it?

The illusionary areas in the Machine are a refreshing change to the otherwise dreary UD tilesets. Are there any plans to expand those areas further?

Is Tau immortal?

I vaguely recall hearing about one of the DMs in EfU1 creating a massive permadeath dungeon for players to tackle. I forgot the name of the DM responsible, but are there any plans to bring something like that back to the server?

[Dillusionist]

Years since I've been able to last play on EFU, though I creep on the forums from time to time. My curiosity must be sated so here goes:



How often do you respond to player speculation behind the scenes? Is stuff laid out in stone, or do you go "Hm. People think the Head Librarian is a secret Cyricist... better make it Ma Murik to blow their minds!"

What was the Burning Keep behind Mistlocke?

What was in the locked book in Hercule's curio shop? The area was one of my all-time favorites, and playing on EFU for the first time it really created the sense of there being a puzzle to solve.

If the Steps of Sanq were averted, what would have happened? Would Mistlocke just have gone on fighting H'bala and the Count until the Darkening was completed?

Who was Muskroot, exactly? And where did he go? No word of him since the Agony attacked...

Is Tinker Tom alive?

What was the deal with Gross? Was he a demon worshiping Cannibal? Just a greasy, creepy chef?

I understand the Sojourners were introduced kind of prematurely during a lull of server activity. What was that faction meant to look like?

[Howlando]

What's the best advice you can give to someone who is new and wants to contribute to the server in some meaningful/entertaining way?

Find something you truly enjoy and are comfortable with in some particular kind of niche with strong characterization, and inhabit the character for a longer period of time. Become "known" for whatever it is that your character is even if that role is relatively small. This thread has some old advice that might be useful.

[Howlando]

Rabbanatha the Pure,
Glaurophynaxia the Fierce,
Abanaxra the Sleeper,
and ????

That's all, really. I think at some point there was a fourth that had died and was going to be used by H'bala as a headless steed, but - as it didn't really happen too much - I can't be bothered to try to find the name, if it even had one.

[Howlando]

Whats your Favorite color scheme/uniformed faction?

I like the Spellguard color scheme. I also liked the Tigereyes and Stygians a lot. I personally prefer bold, distinctive looks.

What was your favorite quest to spice?

Hard to say.

Do you think spice or full blown events are more rewarding for the DM/PCs

​The biggest advantage of spice is that it takes less time - you have a group ready to go, there isn't waiting around for an hour to set things up and then watch as the party slowly gathers, etc. The disadvantage is that it probably isn't very story-related and is more of a mechanical challenge. Sometimes I get annoyed at watching players just steamroll through a quest with zero RP and perfect optimization, but personally I try to just avoid such groups. In the past sometimes I enjoyed going mega hardcore doom spice on players - but usually it was for players who I'd consider myself pretty friendly with and who I know would enjoy and could handle it.

Genuine dm quests or events are of course more satisfying but just require a LOT more time and effort.

What's your favorite evil humanoid (Goblin, Gnoll, Orog etc)

Difficult question. Probably kobolds...I think it's fun to play kobolds, for example.

Whats your favorite mercenary group?

The classics - the Tigereyes (a.k.a. the Broken Shields). The Stygian Armada.

I also quite liked the Ill Fellows in EFU:M - this group of sickly, withered, broken, poor mercenaries who briefly arrived in Mistlocke.