Dearest Sapience,

I hope that you all enjoy the drama which we call the Jesters guild, but
as this has been made so public I will break my silence and speak in
this open forum. Firstly, I would like to thank Llewellyn for founding
the Jesters, great idea, great guild. Thank you, we may or may not have
been here if it hadn't been for you. However, the guild stopped being
'yours' years ago, even before you stepped down as GM. Lets air this all
for the public, since you seem so comfortable with the idea. About half
way through your reign as GM you got bored with the guild. You stopped
taking part in guild life, activities, and decisions that needed to be
made. But, more importantly you stopped taking interest in it's members.
I was Secretary, as well as, Novicehead at the time and was essentially
left to make your decisions. In hopes that they were the right ones
because you just didn't come around or were too wrapped up in your own
personal crap to care. When Oakstone, the Druids and Sentinels were
ready to declair war on the guild over Kalypsos' crap. Who stepped up
and took responsibility for the guild and outguilding her? Not you
Llewellyn, you told me to handle it .. Do what I thought best and I did,
and was later attacked by Kalypso severnal times for it. But, I stood
out and did it for the greater good of the guild EVEN though it wasn't
my responsibility to make the call. Only later to be condemned by you
for the decision.

Eventually, you decided Hmmm I'm not doing anything I need a break, and
stepped down. I won the election and took over the guild and have been
guildmaster ever since. I'm sorry dear Llewellyn you say that people
complained to you, and asked for you back. Well guess what, in every
guild at sometime or another the GM isn't liked or a few people are
unhappy. But who kept the guild? I did! Who is constantly present
putting her neck on the line. I am. (There are others as well, and I am
greatful for each of you). Who sits and lets people yell at her, in
hopes that in some way by listening she can make the guilds life better?
I am! I have NEVER abandoned the guild, no matter how stressful things
got. Llewellyn, you may have founded the guild.. But *I* raised it's
members. I have been there with most of them since they were babies, I
have laughed with them, cried with them and even fought with some, but
in the end have come to respect and love each of them. Can you say the
same? Can you say you have half the time and dedication put into the
guild or getting to know it's members? No, plain and simple. Without the
members the Jesters would be no more then your dream. You set the scene,
I made the play happen.

Now, lets address your lact of interest in the guild. I told you, Rak
told you, and I know others told you NO one in the guild knows you,
except for the older members. You rarely took part in guild life, or
held discussions on GT. About the only time you ever came to the
guildhall was to offer. Yet you were constantly spamming CT and the Dark
Carnival. I tried to give you a say in things, to make you part of the
guilds life. Did you take the hint? No. You continued to stay in your
own world. I remember on *several* different occassions attempting to
seek your advice on various guild matters, and being ignored by you,
while you chatted freely else where. So, don't come to me and act like
you weren't given every opportunity. Instead you would covertly make
decision, and do things it, didn't matter if it was, what was best for
the guild or not. But, because it was 'your guild' you did it anyways.
You couldn't take an hour out to talk on GT, or sit in the guildhall.
But, you would gladly make rash decisions that you felt, that myself nor
any other members of the guild should have a say in. Perhaps, if you
cared half as much about the guild as you claimed you would have taken
more part in the members lives. You can have a guild, but without the
members you have nothing.

Yes, I freely admit, there was a time when I was going to step down as
GM when Diminish quit and decided to no longer be novicehead. It was a
confusing and trying time for us all and I had believed that perhaps my
best place was as novicehead, and to let you, Llewellyn, run the guild.
I brought this to public attention and then went into quiet meditation.
When I returned the rumour had been spread, and I was almost immediately
spammed with a sea of people begging me not to turn the guild over to
you. They pointed out I was elected for a reason, and that a novicehead
could be found. Not to mention the complaints I was getting from various
novices and probates about you treating them poorly or not answering
their questions, that you made them feel very uncomfortable. I could
never abadoned the guild that I love, the guild I consider my family, or
do anything that they asked me not to. So, yea I changed my mind, stayed
and swallowed my pride and put Rak, whom I had, had fallings out with
into the position of novicehead.

As for those members that quit the guild.... That happens, and well I
hate to see my family come and go, you cant keep everyone happy all the
time try as you may. But, Llewellyn you seem to leave out, of those that
left many of them have returned and those who haven't have found that
they were happier else where.

Lets finally address Ximili, as this was one of the final straws that
broke the camels back. You claim that it was a 'new rule' that all
converts went through me. Perhaps, if you had cared for the guild you
would have read the helpfiles YEARS ago, because that rule has indeed
been in effect since I have been GM. Come to think of it, other then
Ximili I don't know one member that hasn't come through me. And Yes, in
about 95 percent of the cases we accept everyone freely. However, there
are special cases, such as Ximili, that a closer look should be taken at
to ensure that the greater good of the guild.

Now as for the rumours you heard about, "it was you or someone else".
Frankly, it was you or various people who were unhappy with judgement
calls you were making. They felt that you were not acting in the best
interest of the guild, and that something needed to be done. Ideas were
tossed out as to how to handle you. But, we were caught behind the huge
curtain of "this is my guild i'll do what I want". After getting
oppinions from various secs and guildmembers... I spent a tidous few
days making the final decision, that the only way to break free of this
and to let the guild continue living without worry about what you were
going to do next, was to set your free. So, once more I am the bad guy,
but I did what I felt necessary and what others had expressed that they
felt needed to be done.

Finally, I'd like to point out one last thing before I end this. You
spoke of how you were ousted as secretary (which you had outright told
me the day before, you don't like what I do, remove me as secretary) and
then when you returned from where ever you had been outguilded. Needless
to say I learned that from you, do what I -needed- to do and let others
find out later, seems to have been your motto when dealing with guild
affairs. So, many times did you do things and would never tell me only
for me to read a log, or news, or to find out from another guild member.
Even though I would beg you for oppinions, ideas what not. Thank you for
the lesson Llew. And for my Jesters out there, don't worry I don't
generally work in this fashion, I am right out there, what you see is
what you get. This just turned out to be one of those bitter sweet
lessons in life.

Llewellyn no guild is perfect, each has their ups and downs. Just as no
GM is perfect. I have my faults as do we all, you complain about me
bloodling the guild.. Big deal, so what? If I could, I'd bloodline EVERY
single member of the guild. Cause each is like my child, I have watched
and aided in their growth. So, condem me if you will, but only for
loving people whom I consider my childern, not for abandonment, or
turning my back on them. Which I consider far greater a crime then
anything I have done, or will ever do. I would give my life over and
over to protect each one of 'my children'.

The Jesters Faithful Servant,
Callianessa

Penned by my hand on the 21st of Ero, in the year 322 AF.