Le Chevalier, Paris
Sitting at my usual table, nursing some green tea, I tap away at a draft for Truthseekers' public mission statement and our current plans. A large part of what's motivating me is the staggering amount of messages clogging up my inbox on the official forum, either begging me to let them join Truthseekers, trolls...or other groups looking to take advantage of us for their own gain, most of which I elected to ignore while separating the explicitly antagonistic and potentially interesting ones into separate folders. The people looking to make trouble are mostly constituent members from DDA, while a few others I can't claim to have ever heard of and a quick search on the names they're dropping don't really turn up much, which makes me suspect that they're just more sophisticated trolls than the roughly three hundred people telling me to kill myself for one reason or another.
Whatever issues I have with the devteam of the game itself - and I have many - I will forever be grateful to whoever built the website and implemented the ability to filter messages by keywords and batch delete them. Saves me so much hassle when sorting through all the garbage people keep sending me.
Still, the interesting ones aren't really actionable right now - Truthseekers is too small, and too starved for funds, so with our schedule pretty much set for the near future, most important of course is taking on Wolf Lord's Remains and getting ready for the tidal wave of players that trickles in in the days following RotA. Even taking into consideration the inherent chaos, the additional threat of potentially dozens or hundreds of Inheritors means we absolutely require a stable foundation in order to ride the waves and not get torn apart by the storm.
Metaphorically speaking.
"Tu as l'air terrible, mon garçon," The gruff voice of the cafe's owner interrupts my train of thought and causes me to make a typo.
"I feel it," I admit tiredly, "This must be how you feel every day, eh?"
Surprised at the audacity of the joke, Mr Jackson chokes on a laugh, "Cheeky runt. I've life left in me yet."
Placing my Pane on the table, I look up at the old man, "Did you need something?"
"Non, just...ehhh..." He chews on the thought, licking his lips, "Concerned. Oui, 'concerned'."
"You don't have to try and speak English on my account, Je parle français Monsieur Jackson," Though I'll admit to being a little rusty since I've not had to speak it in over a decade, but it's been coming back to me fairly quickly, thankfully.
He smiles, "Non, I uhh...need the practice. I can feel my grasp of it...slipping as time passes."
Smiling back, I take a sip of tea, "So be it. I appreciate the concern, but I'm feeling better after a night's rest. I just have a lot on my plate."
"I understand," Mr Jackson nods sagely, "Your aura. Reminds me of old friends back at the factory before the '86 strikes."
"That's a good thing, I hope?" I take another sip of tea, eyeing the bottom of the cup and considering a refill.
"Ahh, they burned bright with dreams and ambition," The old man's voice is full of nostalgia, "But they burn too bright, and...poof! Snuffed out. Thugs hired by the owners to break us up. Trop tapageur...Hit them a little too hard. Neck snaps!"
Mournfully, Mr Jackson sighs, "They don't get back up. Instant."
Searching my memories, I think I can recall the incident in question, "I heard about that. You were one of the protestors?"
He shakes his head from side to side, "Supporter. My line of work was different. Oh, they asked, but it didn't feel....approprié. Oui?"
"Do you regret not participating?" I question, but he only shakes his head in denial.
"Regret is worthless," Mr Jackson asserts, "Worry about past is for historians, and politiciens. Young or old, I live for today, and await tomorrow. Look back all the time and you don't see where you're walking, ah?"
Laughing politely along with him, he fixes me with a serious look, "But you look too far ahead you don't see where you're standing, hah? Ralentissez enfant. Don't burn too bright too quick, pick a moment to shine your best."
Unsolicited as his advice is, I smile gently and accept it for what it is. Mr Jackson means well, and he certainly makes a compelling argument, but the counterpoint that springs to mind is the old adage 'time waits for no man', and I'm still working to a deadline, at the end of the day, so I can't put on the brakes just yet.
Starting to feel like a broken record on the subject, come to think of it.
"Thanks, I'll take your advice to heart," I promise, feeling guilty from a lack of sincerity, but not wanting to upset him.
Mr Jackson smirks knowingly, "Pfah! No, you won't, my friends were the same. That's why I'm telling you, eh? Because you need to hear it."
Caught in the lie, I drop the smile and sigh, "Sorry."
The old man laughs, hoarse and dry, "Its fine, ne t'inquiète pas, eh? I understand."
I feel my mouth twitch upward in a smile, "If you want to help, I could use a refill."
Wagging my empty cup, we both share a laugh.
Astral Reckoning's Official Forums
Thread: Truthseekers
Silver Nosster:
Greetings.
By now, you should all be aware that Truthseekers is the first Guild to be officially recognised by Astral Reckoning. I am the leader of this small organisation, and I am here today to make a few things clear - especially seeing as how the inbox of myself and my associates have been flooded with all manner of messages, most of which (Not including spam from people who think they're funny or scary) involve a question of some kind as to who we are and how we got to this point.
Before I move onto the questions and so on that we've received, I would like to take a moment to talk about what exactly Truthseekers is and what we're setting out to accomplish. Truthseekers, as the name indicates, is primarily formed to seek out what should probably be considered to be the endgame of Astral Reckoning: The Truth of Stars. What exactly this 'Truth' is, I can't really claim to understand and I will refrain from speculating here, but evidence suggests that it is what we as players should ultimately be pursuing, as it is said to be necessary to overcome the Astral Eclipse.
As such, it is the mission of Truthseekers to amass power and knowledge, both individually and for the guild as a whole, cooperating to make all of us strong enough to reach the apex, in essence, beating the game.
Speaking on behalf of my associates, I welcome sincere, beneficial discourse and business when it comes to achieving this goal. I have no desire to be a tyrant, lording from on high, but I will not hesitate to remove stubborn, envious fools from our path forcefully if they refuse to listen to reason. In simpler terms, I welcome friends and allies of convenience - but enemies and self-proclaimed rivals will, naturally, know our displeasure.
Moving on to some responses to common queries and messages:
- At present, we are only considering applications for recruitment from Tanks and Healers who have reached Level 10 and completed The First Step, in limited quantities, but an exception may be made for those with sufficient administration/management experience. Applicants who meet the requirements and pass the initial screening will be tested for competence before a verdict is given. Other applications will be dismissed without further consideration for the time being. Please look forward to further opportunities to apply in the near future.
- The method to create an Official Guild can be learned by asking Clerk NPCs working at any authorised Town or City Hall, such as the one in Meteo City. As for the means by which Truthseekers was able to attain it's status, it is simply the fruit of our efforts in quelling the Siege Event.
- Begging, threats and so on will get you nowhere. If you have the confidence to defeat us in combat, then by all means try, but be aware that as things stand at the time of writing, your victory is exceptionally unlikely, as history has clearly demonstrated.
- A recording of our activities in the Siege is currently undergoing some rudimentary editing and will be published in the coming days, so please exercise patience as none of us are particularly experienced with the subject and there are close to ten hours of useable footage.
- The 'feud' between Truthseekers and Rambling Rose is entirely one-sided. Truthseekers has no interest in pursuing any further action against Rambling Rose, and advises them to let the matter rest, as it is a waste of energy for both sides.
- Many have been asking whether Stone Arsenal will be stocking Beginner's Bronze and the sets worn by both myself and Vice-Leader Windy Fields. The answer is, yes, in the near future.
- Similarly, I have received questions as to how to 'unlock' gear received from Miner's Nightmare. I am pleased to announce that in a few days time, I will be selling Appraisal services in the Meteo City Marketplace at 50 Stone Silver per attempt for Bronze-tier items, and 90 Stone Silver for Iron-tier items. Silver and above are beyond my means to identify, apologies in advance.
- Concerning Miner's Nightmare's final encounter and The Farmer's Secret, a recommended strategy guide for completing it will be released to paying customers starting from today, and the information will be made publically available if it hasn't leaked by then in a week's time. Price is determined by negotiation.
Please feel free to discuss any suggestions, questions and so on below, and may the Path to Truth be rewarding.
Silver Nosster, Guildmaster of Truthseekers.
--
Angelus Reach:
+rep
--
Jayeon Adan:
Support from Holy Spring Orchard, hoping to become Official soon as well. :)))
--
Rushing Willow:
Silver, after slaughtering an entire guild: Nothing personal, just get over it
Us: l i e s|s e i l
--
Jade Talisman:
@Silver Nosster I wasn't kidding about the firstborn thing, if you don't wanna trade it for info, will you accept child sacrifices to join your guild?
--
Old Skinner:
@Jade Talisman What do you have against your niece/nephew????
ConfusedElf3.hpg
--
Silver Nosster:
@Jade Talisman No.
--
Alex's Room, Le Chevalier
Barely a minute after I stop responding to the announcement thread and return to my room to pick up my things to head out, my phone buzzes a generic ringtone signalling a phonecall from an unknown number. Momentarily confused, and a little startled, I fish the device with fumbling, frantic fingers out from my too-tight jeans pocket. Sure enough, I don't recognise the number, but curiosity moves me to answer anyway since they still have yet to give up.
"...Hello? Who is this?"
The calm, almost laconic voice of a woman drawls across the other end of the line, "Greetings. You'll have to forgive the abrupt contact - however, the request you made for management personnel necessitated that we speak sooner, rather than later."
My confusion only deepens, but the woman continues heedless.
"You would perhaps know me best as Generous Morning, Mr Nosster," She introduces herself with that same matter-of-fact tone, "I received your contact number from our mutual acquaintance, Olrica."
I frown, "Even knowing the kind of person she is, I assumed that Olrica would exercise more discretion than this."
"It can be hard to keep such connections secret when you're housemates living in adjacent rooms," Generous Morning explains placidly, "Truthfully, her relationship with you isn't much of a secret amongst those living in this dorm, we just chose to ignore it. But I don't wish for you to misunderstand my intentions, so I will simply move on to the reason I'm calling so urgently."
Suppressing a sigh, I feel that I have little recourse but to hear her out, "I'm listening."
"In short, I wish to apply for the role of an administrator within Truthseekers," Generous Morning reveals, and my brain almost stalls out from the shock.
"...Can you elaborate?" I request, organising my thoughts.
"It is as I said. I wish to apply for the role of an administrator within Truthseekers," Generous Morning repeats unhurriedly, "Please note the use of 'I wish'. This is my own decision."
Taking a seat on my bed and resting my chin on my hand, I try again, "I'm asking why you want to jump ship. If you've been talking with Olrica, you must be aware that I can't pay you the same salary that you're receiving from Kings & Queens through Hadrian, much less exceed those benefits."
"You can think of me what you will, Mr Nosster, however, after our...altercation previously, I can see the writing on the wall already, and I'd prefer to bet on the one whose handwriting it is," Generous Morning admits easily, "As a contractor with funds to spare, I have the leeway to make that wager. Hence this phonecall."
Inhaling, "A moment to consider, please. This is an...unusual situation."
"By all means."
I mute the voice input and set the phone aside as I rummage deep into my memories to try and recall what information I have of Generous Morning. Putting it bluntly, I don't remember anything of consequence that would grant me greater insight into her character and thought process. She wasn't even present when Olrica was ranting at the rest of Rambling Rose - perhaps by design? If they're living together, it stands to reason they might be close friends.
Lacking pertinent knowledge, I'm instead forced to make guesses based on our limited interactions and my overall impression of her. Which is less than ideal, and only complicated by her status as one of Hadrian's lieutenants. Suddenly showing up at my metaphorical doorstep within minutes of me advertising an opening for an administrator with Rambling Rose only yesterday arraying themselves against us as enemies on Hadrian's reckless orders is, obviously, suspicious beyond reason.
At least where Olrica is concerned I can bank on her open distaste for the man and her mercenary mindset, but Generous Morning is an unknown that I have only a vague impression of. If this is indeed some sort of ruse, I'm honestly criminally insulted that she or Hadrian would expect me to fall for it just like that.
On the other hand, the simple fact that she holds the position of Vice-Leader in Rambling Rose brings with it the implications of a certain degree of competence, and from my observations of her thus far, I would consider her to be, if nothing else, smarter and steadier than that petulant brat, Hadrian.
All in all, I have a decision to make as to whether or not to consider her application. But prudence dictates that I don't deny or accept her right this moment. Regardless of what I decide, it will be an informed a choice as I can make it, and not without assurances attached either.
"I'll need to have a chat with Olrica about the concept of discretion," I mutter, "Might as well extort some information about this fairweather friend out of her as compensation. Should run this by Winfrey as well, she is the vice-leader after all...hm, note to self, consider changing role names for branding purposes. Guildmaster is impressive, but a little generic."
I'm getting off track here.
Picking up the phone, I re-enable audio input, "I'm sure you can understand my scepticism, given the circumstances...so I must ask what proof you can give of your sincerity?"
"I fear there is little I have to offer," Generous Morning responds evenly, "Any information on the movements of Rambling Rose would be easily attainable by bribing Olrica, and by that stint, more reliable, given her attachment to professionalism in business. However, I must clarify that even if I am choosing to bet on the growth potential of Truthseekers, and work to help it realise that potential, that does not mean that I will follow it into the ground should it fail to meet expectations. Instead, it would be just as appropriate for me to question you, Mr Nosster, whether or not you are worthy of that commitment, wouldn't it?"
She talks well, I have to admit, "I'm not much for speeches. Much of the announcement I posted was written with the assistance of one of my associates in Truthseekers. Instead, I prefer action. So in that sense, I can only point to what we have achieved so far in such a short timeframe, and by that same token, share the credit for that achievement with the rest of the Guild and our allies."
At first, Generous Morning doesn't respond, "What a strange thing, for both parties to turn up to negotiations practically empty-handed..."
I chuckle, "Indeed. To speak bluntly, I can consider your application as...valid for the time being, pending further consideration. Frankly, you represent too large a risk, so I'm not enthusiastic about that, but I am, in the end, a believer in second chances, so I will give you the benefit of the doubt."
I'd be the world's biggest hypocrite otherwise.
"Understandable," Generous Morning betrays no sign that my decision bothers or surprises her, "In fact, were you to accept me blindly, I would walk away. So to speak."
"I wouldn't blame you," I shake my head, "We'll be busy for the next few days, which is why I responded to your request for a chat as I did, so we'll be in touch once we've had a chance to consider your application. Is that agreeable to you?"
"Yes," She responds easily, "I simply did not wish to be beaten to the front of the queue."
"Mhm. Well, I have somewhere I need to be," I stand up, "Goodbye, and have a pleasant...day."
"...Thank you for avoiding the pun on my username," Generous Morning mutters, then clears her throat, "The same to you, Mr Nosster. Farewell."
Hanging up, I take a moment to run back through the entire conversation, looking for any inconsistencies or flaws that might clue me in to what her motives are, but once again draw a blank.
Maybe if I were more experienced at this kind of thing I could come up with some inspired revelation. My gut instinct after being led around by the nose on the behalf of other inscrutable individuals over the years as part of Quests and the like is that she's genuinely interested, but I note that she avoided specifying her motives beyond her 'bet on the winning horse' stance.
A rare moment of self-awareness induced clarity brings the reminder of Winfrey mentioning the two of us being similar on some level, and after the 'talk' with Sherry last night, I think I can see what she meant.
Glancing at my wristwatch, I click my tongue in annoyance, noting that the interruption has made me miss my bus. I suppose I could have walked and talked, but it's too late to complain about that now. Leaning back on the musty-smelling bed, I set an alarm and close my tired eyes for a bit.
