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Public News Post #10320

Laying a Dog to Rest

Written by: Paratheo-Anametamystik Priest, Llewellyn Mercadia, of Eris Esoteric
Date: Monday, December 9th, 2002
Addressed to: Lady of the Carnival Callianessa Askari, of the Ducky Brigade


I'm going to try and keep this post short and sweet so naturally it's
going to run unnaturally long. So you can skip it or if you are bored
you can read it, but I have some things I feel need to be said.

First of all, it is no secret what the Jesters guild means to me.
Although it seems to have become a forgot treasure of everything I've
done for it. As it's first real, executive Guildmaster and on down line
so when my decisions start getting questioned, especially by those who
rank lower than me, I tend to get a bit urked. Especially if it was a
decision made based on what this guild has -always- been about.

For those of you that still do not know what I am talking about, simply
this, in the tradition that this Guild has always stood for regardless
of Race, Religion, City, Creed, or past History, I inguilded a person
who came to me wanting a fair chance of taking an opportunity to learn
what this -SCHOOL- is here to teach, that being the art of Jestering.

This person was Ximili, who knowing his bizarre personality, his
astounding wit, and incredible abilty to not take much in this life too
seriously and concentrating on the art of playing games, I have to say I
was quite astounded he did not join the guild when it was first founded.

Was it unfair for me to Inguild Ximili? I don't think so. Considering
that the Jesters was founded on the principles of giving EVERYONE a
chance, regardless maintaining the ethics of complete neutrality and not
letting personal biases and politics come in the way of running a
Neutral Guild.

Sure I have my own prejudices. I'm a staunt supporter of Ashtan who has
been within it's poltical circles of power more than once in my life.
There are also others from different cities that I never personally
cared for or would be too over the top thrilled at sharing a guild with,
but I NEVER and I mean NEVER allowed my personal prejudices and
politicals get in the way of my judgments and decisions during my tenure
of Guildmaster and I still have not to this day.

Perhaps Neutrality is no longer welcomed by the current powers that be
in the Jesters. I for one am saddened to see it on it's way out if that
is indeed the case, for it means the death of a dream not only held by
me, but a dream held by our Guild's Founder, Silvestri Carnivalis. The
way things are looking the school may as well be moved to a city where
anyone who does not fit in because of personal prejudges can and will be
denied entrance into our school.

I'm hashing this up mainly because I've had 2 people come to me with
very negative attitudes questioning my judgements and asking why oh why
did I allow someone like Ximili to join our School like it's something
new to me for me to be doing. I have always given everyone a fair
neutral chance. There are those I can name that I don't care for. Names
like Calhoun, Bulvai, Jerle, among others that I would -never- enjoy
inguilding because of how they are, my past experiences with them and
thier reputations for Guild Hopping. However in spite of this, I would
live up to the standards this Guild had once put in place by placing my
personal prejudices aside and allow them entrance.

The first talk I recieved on this was from our Guildmaster Callianessa,
and it was reasonable. She had changed a rule that I had not been made
aware of as far as having converts over the age of 25 speak to her
before entering and that is fine. If she wishes to reserve the right to
screen them before inguilding, she certainly without question reserves
that right as Guildmaster. Though offended that I was being questioned
on my motives considering my history with this guild, I was defensive
and my answers were brisk, I did note the change and acknowledged to
observe it from that moment on and let her know that if she had any
problems with the way I handled my duties as Secretary, that she was
free to remove me from the position which I see she has now done after
she no doubt spoke with Ralph from whom the second conversation on this
entire tired matter took place.

You have been discharged from Circus Imperium for the following reason:
'0 reason given'. Callianessa has ejected you from the Jesters.
Callianessa has just left you message #4.

After my encounter with Callianessa, I was just going to let things drop
thinking ok, it's been talked about and settled and move on. However it
was my conversation with Ralph that inspired me to make this post in
hopes of setting the matter to rest once and for all for I don't really
feel like having to defend my actions to everyone who has ever had a
problem with Ximili. This discussion with Ralph was much cruder,
threatening me with with ultimatums filled with his personal prejudices.
I have never been one to sell myself out by backing down from the
courage of my convictions and submitting to Ultimatums as Callianessa
has done in the past and still does in the first. She shows little
backbone and only follows only what those in her little group of family
to which she plays favourites to have to say. I will not stand for
Ultimatums now. With me, what you see is always what you get.

Now that I have found myself outside of the Guild I was a founding
Father of, I guess this post must change direction.

Me, I have never really went around trying to earn popularly points. The
friends I have lost along the way were not worth keeping and the friends
that stuck to me through thick and thin I know are my true friends and
there are few feelings better than knowing who you're friends are. I'd
rather have a few close knit people surrounding me that I know that I
can trust, than have an army of people at my back ready to place a knife
in it at thier first opportunity. But I have always had the Good of the
Guild at Heart.

I look back at Praise I received Posts like Jesters 137 where Ralph
states: This is truly a bittersweet stick of cotton candy for me, as I
will be attempting to replace the only guildmaster the Jesters have ever
had, Llewellyn Mercadia, my colleague in founding the guild under
Silvestri Carnivalis. Under Llewellyn's leadership we have risen from a
guild that was the laughinstock of Sapience (in a bad way) to a guild
near the top of topguilds, that is again, the laughingstock of Sapience.
(in a good way.) Without Llewellyn, the Carnival would be little more
than a flea circus, not the Cirque du Pranque that it has become.

As well as Jesters 139 from Pandora saying: I'm sorry to see you step
back Llewellyn but I admire your courage, your grace and your desire to
do what is best for the guild, you are everything a guild could ask for
and I hope you'll be in to guide our new electee, whoever that may be!

To posts such as Jesters 144 from Callianessa saying: I'd like to start
by giving my heart felt thanks to Llewellyn, for all that he has done
for the guild. It's been a pleasure serving as probate mistress all
these years, and I look forward to his advice and ideas for the guild in
the future. Please if you see him, take a few moments to thank him for
what he has done. It is thanks to Llewellyn that we have made it thus
far, and I look forward to continuing his work.

I look back at those posts and I just wonder... WTF HAPPENED?

The reasons behind my outguilding were shallow at best. I only followed
the principals that the Jesters had always been founded by and see
myself now cast from thier ranks. But I feel most of the reason has come
not from my simple inguilding of a single person, but to that I have
been showing my desire to once again take my place in the positions of
power I held once before and that I seemed to be the biggest threat to
Callianessa in replacing her as Guildmaster.

In either case, I now unwillingly no longer belong to the School I
cherished so much, and hope that I do not have to slowly watch it's
collapse as it is run into the ground while it forsakes the principles
on which it was based.

In Sadness,
Llewellyn Mercadia

Penned by my hand on the 14th of Ero, in the year 322 AF.


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Public News Post #10320

Laying a Dog to Rest

Written by: Paratheo-Anametamystik Priest, Llewellyn Mercadia, of Eris Esoteric
Date: Monday, December 9th, 2002
Addressed to: Lady of the Carnival Callianessa Askari, of the Ducky Brigade


I'm going to try and keep this post short and sweet so naturally it's
going to run unnaturally long. So you can skip it or if you are bored
you can read it, but I have some things I feel need to be said.

First of all, it is no secret what the Jesters guild means to me.
Although it seems to have become a forgot treasure of everything I've
done for it. As it's first real, executive Guildmaster and on down line
so when my decisions start getting questioned, especially by those who
rank lower than me, I tend to get a bit urked. Especially if it was a
decision made based on what this guild has -always- been about.

For those of you that still do not know what I am talking about, simply
this, in the tradition that this Guild has always stood for regardless
of Race, Religion, City, Creed, or past History, I inguilded a person
who came to me wanting a fair chance of taking an opportunity to learn
what this -SCHOOL- is here to teach, that being the art of Jestering.

This person was Ximili, who knowing his bizarre personality, his
astounding wit, and incredible abilty to not take much in this life too
seriously and concentrating on the art of playing games, I have to say I
was quite astounded he did not join the guild when it was first founded.

Was it unfair for me to Inguild Ximili? I don't think so. Considering
that the Jesters was founded on the principles of giving EVERYONE a
chance, regardless maintaining the ethics of complete neutrality and not
letting personal biases and politics come in the way of running a
Neutral Guild.

Sure I have my own prejudices. I'm a staunt supporter of Ashtan who has
been within it's poltical circles of power more than once in my life.
There are also others from different cities that I never personally
cared for or would be too over the top thrilled at sharing a guild with,
but I NEVER and I mean NEVER allowed my personal prejudices and
politicals get in the way of my judgments and decisions during my tenure
of Guildmaster and I still have not to this day.

Perhaps Neutrality is no longer welcomed by the current powers that be
in the Jesters. I for one am saddened to see it on it's way out if that
is indeed the case, for it means the death of a dream not only held by
me, but a dream held by our Guild's Founder, Silvestri Carnivalis. The
way things are looking the school may as well be moved to a city where
anyone who does not fit in because of personal prejudges can and will be
denied entrance into our school.

I'm hashing this up mainly because I've had 2 people come to me with
very negative attitudes questioning my judgements and asking why oh why
did I allow someone like Ximili to join our School like it's something
new to me for me to be doing. I have always given everyone a fair
neutral chance. There are those I can name that I don't care for. Names
like Calhoun, Bulvai, Jerle, among others that I would -never- enjoy
inguilding because of how they are, my past experiences with them and
thier reputations for Guild Hopping. However in spite of this, I would
live up to the standards this Guild had once put in place by placing my
personal prejudices aside and allow them entrance.

The first talk I recieved on this was from our Guildmaster Callianessa,
and it was reasonable. She had changed a rule that I had not been made
aware of as far as having converts over the age of 25 speak to her
before entering and that is fine. If she wishes to reserve the right to
screen them before inguilding, she certainly without question reserves
that right as Guildmaster. Though offended that I was being questioned
on my motives considering my history with this guild, I was defensive
and my answers were brisk, I did note the change and acknowledged to
observe it from that moment on and let her know that if she had any
problems with the way I handled my duties as Secretary, that she was
free to remove me from the position which I see she has now done after
she no doubt spoke with Ralph from whom the second conversation on this
entire tired matter took place.

You have been discharged from Circus Imperium for the following reason:
'0 reason given'. Callianessa has ejected you from the Jesters.
Callianessa has just left you message #4.

After my encounter with Callianessa, I was just going to let things drop
thinking ok, it's been talked about and settled and move on. However it
was my conversation with Ralph that inspired me to make this post in
hopes of setting the matter to rest once and for all for I don't really
feel like having to defend my actions to everyone who has ever had a
problem with Ximili. This discussion with Ralph was much cruder,
threatening me with with ultimatums filled with his personal prejudices.
I have never been one to sell myself out by backing down from the
courage of my convictions and submitting to Ultimatums as Callianessa
has done in the past and still does in the first. She shows little
backbone and only follows only what those in her little group of family
to which she plays favourites to have to say. I will not stand for
Ultimatums now. With me, what you see is always what you get.

Now that I have found myself outside of the Guild I was a founding
Father of, I guess this post must change direction.

Me, I have never really went around trying to earn popularly points. The
friends I have lost along the way were not worth keeping and the friends
that stuck to me through thick and thin I know are my true friends and
there are few feelings better than knowing who you're friends are. I'd
rather have a few close knit people surrounding me that I know that I
can trust, than have an army of people at my back ready to place a knife
in it at thier first opportunity. But I have always had the Good of the
Guild at Heart.

I look back at Praise I received Posts like Jesters 137 where Ralph
states: This is truly a bittersweet stick of cotton candy for me, as I
will be attempting to replace the only guildmaster the Jesters have ever
had, Llewellyn Mercadia, my colleague in founding the guild under
Silvestri Carnivalis. Under Llewellyn's leadership we have risen from a
guild that was the laughinstock of Sapience (in a bad way) to a guild
near the top of topguilds, that is again, the laughingstock of Sapience.
(in a good way.) Without Llewellyn, the Carnival would be little more
than a flea circus, not the Cirque du Pranque that it has become.

As well as Jesters 139 from Pandora saying: I'm sorry to see you step
back Llewellyn but I admire your courage, your grace and your desire to
do what is best for the guild, you are everything a guild could ask for
and I hope you'll be in to guide our new electee, whoever that may be!

To posts such as Jesters 144 from Callianessa saying: I'd like to start
by giving my heart felt thanks to Llewellyn, for all that he has done
for the guild. It's been a pleasure serving as probate mistress all
these years, and I look forward to his advice and ideas for the guild in
the future. Please if you see him, take a few moments to thank him for
what he has done. It is thanks to Llewellyn that we have made it thus
far, and I look forward to continuing his work.

I look back at those posts and I just wonder... WTF HAPPENED?

The reasons behind my outguilding were shallow at best. I only followed
the principals that the Jesters had always been founded by and see
myself now cast from thier ranks. But I feel most of the reason has come
not from my simple inguilding of a single person, but to that I have
been showing my desire to once again take my place in the positions of
power I held once before and that I seemed to be the biggest threat to
Callianessa in replacing her as Guildmaster.

In either case, I now unwillingly no longer belong to the School I
cherished so much, and hope that I do not have to slowly watch it's
collapse as it is run into the ground while it forsakes the principles
on which it was based.

In Sadness,
Llewellyn Mercadia

Penned by my hand on the 14th of Ero, in the year 322 AF.


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