Laelanis Zareerae

[Enethier]

I don't have the same spark that I had when I started her, nor the time to invest into doing the things I've wanted to with her. You're all a blast, and in no way is this retirement due to the actions of any of you or your characters. Simply put, I'm just too exhausted lately to justify playing such a taxing character. Perhaps when I have more time, I may revisit her. In the meantime, I will be tying up some loose plot strings and vanishing.

To Ilivnolu: You were this character's rock for a good long while. While we hardly spoke with great depth, I felt our conversations were precisely what to expect from a drow. We were guarded around each other, and that dynamic was incredibly fun. 

To Ilthrias: Oh the game of chess we played. You were a very dangerous political opponent. I always felt like you knew exactly what Laelanis was really doing, but couldn't gather the proof to substantiate it.Very superbly played character and always a pleasure. 

To Dilorry: Laelanis had a strange affection for you. Not in that manner, but more of an odd mix of respect and amiable disposition towards you, which always left her feeling torn between who she was and what she was. Of all of the deaths she plotted, yours was the one that touched her the most, and the one she desired the most. I think she would have been so horribly devastated if those countless plots ever came to fruition, but at the same time she will always lament their failing. 

To Sylph: As well as Ilthrias, Laelanis always believed that you knew the truth for yourself, but couldn't prove it. It made it very fun to talk to you. Our little side plot stalled, but it was a great bit of fun and I thank you for the experience.

To Thulgan: You are such a beast. Not only are you a PK nightmare, but you are probably the best played character I have ever had the pleasure of interacting with. Fantastic, through and through. Should the time come when I can return to either this character or another, I hope to find you still bashing heads in and making remarks about the ears of elves.

Honorable mentions include Rathanous, Rilithin, Rauculant, Zelabryn, Zoichan, Garacci, Volgathras and Anume. While my interactions with you all were small by comparison, you all greatly impacted Laelanis from her very early days into her quite paranoid final moments in Aabahran.

[Imoutgoodbye]

I loved Laelanis.  We had one brief interaction over my Christmas break and I was thrilled to meet yet another powerful, fun, and approachable character in our little world.  I'm looking forward to when you bring her back.  And, just for you...

 

Xymerria is lovely, dark, and deep

with many miles of glowing fungi yet to go.

The watchful eyes of Lloth never sleep,

the poison darts never slow.

 

Sitting on a throne,

littering elven bone,

speaking in Divine-

sepulchers in a line.

 

Flowing white hair,

ebony skin so fair,

regal is the air,

she breathes.

 

Puppets dance on strings,

Lord of Demons wants to sing,

Heralds put quill to scroll,

with words heads shall roll.

 

Falling back to shadow,

filling in the grave,

one day SHE'll return,

her race she will save.

[f0xx]

Great character Teemo.

 

FL just lost a bit of its charm. I can truly understand what you mean by "taxing" character though.

 

Good luck on your next.

[Iyorvin]

A shame. I would of thought she could easily transform an extended leave due to not being caballed. I really hope it is not a deletion, having a matron mother offers immense unique RP potential to the game, as well as the education of the proper DROW rp. Who knows, maybe another Matron is ready to overthrow your house? I was in love with your character, and because of some interactions I would go out of my way to make sure we interacted on future characters. 

 

Luck to you teemo, hope to see you in game for years to come!

[Enethier]

I'm not deleting, just taking an extended leave of absence. Life's going to be getting pretty crazy for me in the next week or so, already missing out on a lot of my free time as it is. When it all settles down again, I'll be back and ready to make a few more centuries-long plots.

[Volgathras]

I followed Laelanis closely. It was unfortunate I never had the time to get more involved, at least directly. My agents sure had their orders, though.

Whether you come back with her or a new one I'm sure the effort will be a success, simply because you know how play the game and enjoy it for what it is. There is no 'winning', only the journey.

[Anume]

An interesting character, hope you'll have time to be back soon.

[The Professor]

Laelanis Zareerae the Matron Mother of Xymerria, Vassal to the Spider Queen... what an absolutely wonderful character! take a break and handle your business. then, return to us with a renewed vigor and breathe life into Laelanis once more.  

Laelanis was the good kind of evil... patient as the spider... ever watchful and ever lurking. agile in both thought and action. if I was to pick the two greatest types of evil in Aabahran... Thulgan would epitomize one end of that spectrum, the obvious end, but Laelanis would surely epitomize the other... slow, like a poison, and assuredly lethal. 

[Enethier]

Anyone that is curious or would like some insights on how I envisioned the drow and their matriarch, I would be more than happy to discuss. I have decided that when I get back to the game, I will finish what is left of her story. Unfortunately, even with her uncaballed, there is only one real way to explain her absence, and such is an event that lies very near the end of her time in Aabahran, one way or another. That said, I've really taken to drow, and I would not put it past myself to craft another, almost as ambitious, just as venomous character. 

It's probably the most bittersweet end to any character I have ever played. It got to a point where playing Laelanis felt like a part of me, and now that she is, for the most part, done, I feel a little vacant. On the other hand, as I mentioned, she became very taxing, and I found myself needing to invest far more time in her to advance even the smallest amount than I have to give. I had a second character as well, Xerakt (Asherakt) that suffered for it, and subsequently fell off as I devoted more and more time to Laelanis. In the end, both disappeared for it, and as disappointed as I am with that, I am also relieved. 

To me, Laelanis was a huge victory. She has provoked more thought from me than any other character I've played, probably all of them combined, as I delved into the wonderful society of Drow. Much of what I searched for insight on actually led me to push aside the more typical Drow RP for something I felt was far more plausible. "Chaos worshiping political backstabbers that hate feeling controlled" just didn't seem like it should work. In fact, when other games (I'm looking at you, D&D) include Drow, they literally write it in to "ignore that this cannot actually work - it works because it is fantasy". I wanted to take it farther than that. I wanted the why. And in Laelanis, I found that the "why" often betrayed the common assumption.

 

Males are not lower than females for the sake of arrogance, for instance. They are placed beneath females as a test from Lloth: The strong will break their chains, and the weak will die or accept slavery. In the case of the females, they must compete in a different fashion: instead of proving their strength by winning freedom, they have to be stronger even than the males that wish to be free of their shackles. It is not a matter of natural social supremacy, as is assumed, as there is only an ideological basis for such. It is a lesson the Drow are expected to learn through blood. 

I also spoke with many people in game about the reason daughters kill their mothers in Drow society. Many of you answered what was expected: for power. But what power is truly gained from such? None, only a title. The daughter had the power already, as evident by her victory. As for the title, it is a weakness. In a world full of enemies only loosely bound in hatred of their ancestral cousins, where every other member of your race is likely plotting to kill those of higher status, titles are more oft a bad thing to have. Certainly, there is some weight to them, but they attract assassins like flames call to moths. If every political figure you've ever known was assassinated, would you be eager to join them? So that leaves the real reason for matricide: it is a ritual. This ritual matricide is a coming of age for a Drowess. It is her proof that she has learned the teachings of Lloth, and is not a weak failure of her people. After all, to fail to kill one's mother means death: Lloth has no patience for failure. Many daughters fail, but by proving that they are capable of killing their mothers, they ensure that their Houses retain ever stronger, ever wiser, ever more cunning leadership.

But I've rambled on enough. Thank you all again for the great times. Again, if anyone wants to know more about how I envisioned the Drow, please let me know here and I will elaborate. 

[Serinkane]

I had hoped to get to know her, I was very curious.

[Volgathras]

deep stuff

 

Write that down give it to a herald. I think that gives a real depth and an interest facet to the society. That's how our game grows; by players giving stories and adding to the framework.

[Imoutgoodbye]

Mmmmm....totally sure Enethier gave me an intellectual boner there.  I wish I had a Herald!  I want it!!!!

[Volgathras]

Mmmmm....totally sure Enethier gave me an intellectual boner there.  I wish I had a Herald!  I want it!!!!

 

Way to make the conversation uncomfortable, emasculator.

[The Professor]

you two are already too late!

[The Professor]

blasted Volg... got his post to go through before mine... I call that favoritism!

[Iyorvin]

I was going to memeburn(patent pending) Valek, but alas the forum no longer supports my awesome.

[Enethier]

Mmmmm....totally sure Enethier gave me an intellectual boner there.  I wish I had a Herald!  I want it!!!!

I need an adult...

[Imoutgoodbye]

Shhhh...it's okay, Teemo.  You're always safe with Reverend Aabahran Lincoln the Great Emasculator, Shepherd of Fire, Unholiest of the Unholies, Brother to Volgathras, and the Mouth of Discord.  

[crackwilly21]

We had unfinished business...

 

An awesome character, I always felt like your RP was WAY out of my league.

[J.Twendrist]

A very awesome character. All our interactions were great. I look forward to the return of Laelanis.

[Enethier]

Should be back in a few months, and I know exactly where I will be taking her story.

[Enethier]

We had unfinished business...

 

An awesome character, I always felt like your RP was WAY out of my league.

 

 

No way. Yours was so beast, you have such great detail in your actions, I could very clearly get a picture of your character every time we chatted. Your body language emotes were so well placed and worded that I could even picture your character's facial expressions, even the hairs that displaced themselves during some of the more tense moments of frustration. I always felt inspired when we talked, and perhaps that is the biggest reason I sought you out whenever I could.

 

A very awesome character. All our interactions were great. I look forward to the return of Laelanis.

 

 

I very much enjoyed ours as well. You are such an enjoyable person to RP with. I definitely want to come back and see you still playing. 2 of your characters this last year have in my top 5 most enjoyable characters in the year. Maybe next time I'll actually be on your side. Even if not, you've been a great influence on my characters, really pulling out some of the more memorable RP. I have no doubts that next time it will be just the same. Best of luck with your character, I really hope it is still around when I can put the proper time into Laelanis again. 

[Enethier]

I didn't want to start a new topic for it, so here it is.

The character has lost it's shine to me, I no longer get excited to play her. After I tie up this last matter, she will be gone. I hope to go out with a bang. 

Afterwards, I'll be taking a small break. I'm hoping to come back with another fun character. Hey, I might even try to PK!

[crackwilly21]

Such an awesome character. Good luck with your next. I hope it's as awesome as she was.

[The Professor]

yeah, Laelanis is awesome. a great character concept from beginning to end. everything was well thought out and immaculately conceived.  

certainly looking forward to seeing what else you come up with... maybe something on the light or neutral side? there are far too many awesome character concepts wasted on villainy!