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Post by Plotter on Aug 31, 2021 18:43:41 GMT -5
Hello everyone, Cloudstone has risen and fallen, the dead has been cremated, and NPCs have said their farewells. As some of you already know, now it’s also time for me to say farewell to FRC. I’ll be leaving the server as player, builder, and EDM. This was not a recent decision, but something I’ve known I had to do for a long time. It’s time for me to move on and do something else. FRC has been a big part of my life for the last decade, sometimes too big to the point of burn out, but it has also been a comforting home away from home. It has been a wild ride, and I’ve been part of some great adventures as a player, and got to do some crazy stuff as a DM. I’ve had fun here, and I’m very satisfied with the story I got to tell. But to be perfectly honest (and I’m sure the Teams are aware from discussions we’ve had), there is a lot about the server that doesn’t fit well with my preferences as a player, or as a DM, and I've been quite grumpy, and critical about the server. However, I don’t want to leave FRC on a bad note, and overall I think FRC is actually a pretty great server, even if there are things I disagree with, and things that annoys me to no end. Not to forget, FRC has a great community. FRC and the Teams has seen some changes lately, and I think FRC will continue to improve. I have no hard feelings against the Teams, and I appreciate that I was given the opportunity to build and DM here. I wish FRC and the Teams all the best. I didn’t think Cloudstone would run for as long as it did. I had written up a synopsis for the story, and I stuck fairly close to the major plot points from beginning to end, but I expected it would take perhaps a year from start to finish (haha). I didn’t know all the details, or exactly how it all fit together, but the major events were decided very early. I had a couple of different endings in mind, but as the story went on, and I realized I was going to leave the server, it all funnelled down toward the Wyvernwater Crash Ending. I’ve told epic stories in NWN before, but this was certainly the most ambitious in scope and cast of characters, both NPCs and PCs. I think it helped that the story was so focused on a single location, with a clear end goal in mind that kept the story moving forward - even if the pace was slow at times. Having some broad overarching themes to tie things together also helped. Sometimes the story did get a little rushed or railroady, and way more complicated than I had intended. There were also a lot of things that just had to be cut for time or because the story changed. I’m not beating myself up over it, and I hope no one else is either for any missed opportunities or missteps. I’m very grateful for the positive feedback I’ve got, and for the many great interactions I've had over the years. While I may have built the roller-coaster, and you did the screaming and crying, we finished the ride together. Thanks for playing.
I’m going to take an extended break from NWN now, and play some single player games, and just focus on other creative endeavours, and real life in general. I might make the rare cameo appearance as a player, but don’t expect much, if anything. I will stick around a couple more days to finish a few things, but I plan to be gone before the weekend at the latest.
With that said...
I bid you all a very fond farewell.
- Plotter aka Fisheyes
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miigwech
Proven Member
Imperfectly perfect.
Posts: 191
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Post by miigwech on Aug 31, 2021 19:04:58 GMT -5
Wishing you all the best in all you do. Thank you for the time you put into the server and it's community.
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Post by scrubyoukai on Aug 31, 2021 19:17:35 GMT -5
Thank you very much for the all the shenanigans over the years, Plotter. I will remember the events fondly.
You will be sorely missed.
And never forget: KARSK LIVES
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Post by Animayhem on Aug 31, 2021 19:21:38 GMT -5
Wishing you all the best in all you do. Thank you for the time you put into the server and it's community. This.
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Post by malclave on Aug 31, 2021 19:22:44 GMT -5
Sorry to hear you're going... we'll be here if you decide to come back in more than just a cameo.
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Ascension
Proven Member
Keeper of the "Dot Dot Dot"
Posts: 150
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Post by Ascension on Aug 31, 2021 19:39:52 GMT -5
Plotter I can say with all honesty, with all the time invested in trying to sort information, being one of the neutral parties trying to play the side the entire way, fighting the tribalism between the houses, and the various other neutrals all trying to play there games, literally buying a book in RL trying to keep track of all the details in the story and about NPCs and PCs, ect... I had a ton of fun man. You will be missed, and I hope your future plans are equally as successful. Have fun man, and know we look forward if we see you come back again.
*Still a bit sad to see you go*
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Willow
Proven Member
Posts: 113
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Post by Willow on Aug 31, 2021 19:54:36 GMT -5
Yet another layer to the breaking hearts. You will be missed.
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Post by styxxbone1 on Aug 31, 2021 20:50:26 GMT -5
Hmm... Yes, Villainous Red Pixies, swarms of Giant Dead things, many witches were annoyed while making it, was epic ad fun.
styxx
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Mysto
Old School
I'm Batmage.
Zombies, Skeletons, and Positive Vibes..
Posts: 539
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Post by Mysto on Aug 31, 2021 21:43:06 GMT -5
will miss you and very sad to see you go.. please be well
<3 Mysto
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Post by mustanggt5000 on Sept 1, 2021 1:01:43 GMT -5
Thanks for the ride man. In my decade of being here, you gave Davina something to believe in.
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Post by appleseedy on Sept 1, 2021 4:00:10 GMT -5
enjoyed the ride. Lots of fun with the Cloudstone plot though my involvement died before the end. And let me say FRc is a great server with lots of positive points. If FRc has a problem that really stands out for me it is an epic problem. Too many epics, I would love a level cap of between 18 and 20 and only allow a charcter to go epic in very very exceptional cases and stories. Anyway, awesome plot.
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Post by Fiddlesticks on Sept 1, 2021 4:05:47 GMT -5
You are going to be sorely missed, you're a superbly-talented storyteller. I look forward to seeing you visit as a player sometimes, it has been an honor to fly with you 🖖
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Post by arkaronmythrumbar on Sept 1, 2021 6:48:20 GMT -5
Thanks plotter for all your time and energy! You will be missed that is for sure. It has been a long time since i've enjoyed a DM storyline like cloudstone. There was alot of things I would still have loved to do and explore about Cloudstone, but can in no way complain about the way things went hope the best for you in the future! ''The Road goes ever on and on, Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger way Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.'' Bilbo Baggins. Untill we meet again. Godspeed Plotter
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Post by demolicious on Sept 1, 2021 6:55:17 GMT -5
Farewell Plotter.
Haven't been back for too long this time, but greatly enjoyed events and interactions with you over the years.
Best wishes for the future.
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Post by vulpes on Sept 1, 2021 8:13:42 GMT -5
Good luck in your new adventure, you were great at telling stories and making the NPCs all different with their own quirks etc. thanks for all your effort!
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Post by sightblinder on Sept 1, 2021 8:17:47 GMT -5
I am sad to see you go man, but completely understand. You've put a lot of time and effort into this server and it's been appreciated by myself as well as many others. I hope whatever you find yourself doing next, you get as much or more enjoyment out of it as you did with FRC. So long, and thanks for all the fish!
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Post by ShadowCatJen on Sept 1, 2021 9:24:39 GMT -5
Okay so .... you see this here? Pardon my chicken scratch, but this is just one small portion of the pages upon pages of information my character gathered over the last two or so years of being part of the Cloudstone plot. This was the kind of work you put me on, Plotter ... ... and I loved every minute of it. Not sure what more I can add here as you know both my sentiments and that I will miss you already. I'm not going to say goodbye because you know the door is always open for you to return. May the worlds you build in your mind, flourish, connect, and grow. May you finish all the drafts for your stories. May your edits always go smooth. May you always get the best game endings and manage to complete all the side quests. May all your marathons of shows and series leave you satisfied. And may life, even if sometimes frustrating or anxiety inducing, be good to you in general. Game on, my friend, game on.
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Post by oldfog on Sept 1, 2021 10:39:27 GMT -5
Hey Plotter!
You said you wanted an emotional rollercoaster, and you got it. I was always amazed how you could keep track of all that information. Every single of your characters felt alive with their own personalities. And you as a DM was always friendly, always ready for a story and always focusing on the players! You will be missed!
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Post by DM Maleficent's Kiss on Sept 1, 2021 10:40:49 GMT -5
Hello everyone, Cloudstone has risen and fallen, the dead has been cremated, and NPCs have said their farewells. As some of you already know, now it’s also time for me to say farewell to FRC. I’ll be leaving the server as player, builder, and EDM. This was not a recent decision, but something I’ve known I had to do for a long time. It’s time for me to move on and do something else. FRC has been a big part of my life for the last decade, sometimes too big to the point of burn out, but it has also been a comforting home away from home. It has been a wild ride, and I’ve been part of some great adventures as a player, and got to do some crazy stuff as a DM. I’ve had fun here, and I’m very satisfied with the story I got to tell. But to be perfectly honest (and I’m sure the Teams are aware from discussions we’ve had), there is a lot about the server that doesn’t fit well with my preferences as a player, or as a DM, and I've been quite grumpy, and critical about the server. However, I don’t want to leave FRC on a bad note, and overall I think FRC is actually a pretty great server, even if there are things I disagree with, and things that annoys me to no end. Not to forget, FRC has a great community. FRC and the Teams has seen some changes lately, and I think FRC will continue to improve. I have no hard feelings against the Teams, and I appreciate that I was given the opportunity to build and DM here. I wish FRC and the Teams all the best. I didn’t think Cloudstone would run for as long as it did. I had written up a synopsis for the story, and I stuck fairly close to the major plot points from beginning to end, but I expected it would take perhaps a year from start to finish (haha). I didn’t know all the details, or exactly how it all fit together, but the major events were decided very early. I had a couple of different endings in mind, but as the story went on, and I realized I was going to leave the server, it all funnelled down toward the Wyvernwater Crash Ending. I’ve told epic stories in NWN before, but this was certainly the most ambitious in scope and cast of characters, both NPCs and PCs. I think it helped that the story was so focused on a single location, with a clear end goal in mind that kept the story moving forward - even if the pace was slow at times. Having some broad overarching themes to tie things together also helped. Sometimes the story did get a little rushed or railroady, and way more complicated than I had intended. There were also a lot of things that just had to be cut for time or because the story changed. I’m not beating myself up over it, and I hope no one else is either for any missed opportunities or missteps. I’m very grateful for the positive feedback I’ve got, and for the many great interactions I've had over the years. While I may have built the roller-coaster, and you did the screaming and crying, we finished the ride together. Thanks for playing. I’m going to take an extended break from NWN now, and play some single player games, and just focus on other creative endeavours, and real life in general. I might make the rare cameo appearance as a player, but don’t expect much, if anything. I will stick around a couple more days to finish a few things, but I plan to be gone before the weekend at the latest. With that said...
I bid you all a very fond farewell. - Plotter aka Fisheyes
I really just want to say thank you for all of the time you spent giving back to the player base and this community. I know we had some struggles and there were times things had to be hashed out but despite all of this players were able to find enjoyment through your event and for this I am very grateful as both a DM and a player here. Thank you for everything you've given to this community Plotter! I wish you all the best in whatever you decide to do after this whether it be IRL stuff, another nwn's server, another game, or otherwise.
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Post by Southpaw on Sept 1, 2021 11:46:44 GMT -5
Thanks for what you did for FRC, EDM Plotter. I didn't get into the Cloudstone plot directly, but it's very clear from the effect that it's had on everyone who participated that it was a lot of fun to play in and had a great impact on those who did. Smooth sailing where ever you go.
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Post by DOT on Sept 1, 2021 13:56:20 GMT -5
More hugs for you 😭😭😭❤️
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Post by Spirit of a Phoenix on Sept 1, 2021 20:23:16 GMT -5
You are going to be sorely missed, you're a superbly-talented storyteller. I look forward to seeing you visit as a player sometimes, it has been an honor to fly with you 🖖 Ditto this. Thank you for the massive time and effort that you invested to bring entertainment to the community, Plotter. It won't be forgotten and players will be talking about your events for years to come.
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Post by Asgardian Grey Hawk on Sept 1, 2021 20:29:42 GMT -5
You will be sorely missed. Thanks for all the laughs frustration and happiness. Was a pleasure.
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koffie
Old School
discord: Koffie#0545
Posts: 435
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Post by koffie on Sept 2, 2021 2:44:03 GMT -5
we have had our talk ingame i think enough has been said. be well, enjoy, and let chaos reign!
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Post by Plotter on Sept 2, 2021 10:21:32 GMT -5
Thanks everyone. And SCJ, that picture... really hit me. I know that's a lot of notes. I think it's safe to say that the Acid Killers were not Cyricists or minions of Abii! Personally, I use Scrivener for my notes, and it's still a bit of a mess, but it has a search function!
Before I leave, I just wanted to share the sources that was the basis for Cloudstone, so you know what's from source or from me... if that matters. A little behind the scenes bonus material.
The story was based on the following source material: The former kingdom of Esparin and the Lost Palace. There wasn't really much info on this, so I made up the noble houses of Hornbow, Silverthorn, Stormcrown, and Barrowfog. forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/EsparinThe Lost Palace of Esparin was supposedly full of liches, but I don't think I knew why this was the case at the start, so I made up the Esparin Mage Guard. I then merged that idea with the idea that a palace from the Cloudlands had crashed into the Stonelands. I did make up the name Cloudstone since the palace was unnamed... and I almost regretted it as soon as I mentioned it in-game. It felt a little too spoilery, but then it was also very thematic. Elminster's Ecologies mentions the Cloudlands above the Stonelands. The lore book Lost Empires of Faerun names the Cloudlands as Avaeraether. There were also mention of magical storms in the Stonelands here. Two small excerpts (mild spoilers, but you know this already if you've been part of the story):
So, I kinda worked that into what I had, and made the palace prevent raising of the dead, and re-animating undead, and so on. Many of the liches were also destroyed in the book, so there were far fewer (I established it as "only" thirty-three liches in the Mage Guard... plus any extra prisoners).
I also came across some lore from Ed Greenwood posted at Candlekeep, but then I had already started the plot, and had to work in the names Melmane, Darlreth, Baerungar, Bracegauntlet, Hasgram, Mornim, Naerbold, and Rook. I tried to keep a lot of the history vague, though, and sometimes only hint at a greater history. The name Yerespar for Espar was mentioned here, and there may be some contradictions to what I had established about the "Lost Palace"... and maybe other things, but then there's contradictions here with other sources. This forum post states Esparin was founded circa 1020 DR. But The Sword Never Sleeps, claims that Baerauble the first Royal Magician of Cormyr, used the Lost Palace as a prison, and Baerauble died in 429 DR. Which... does line up with my story, that the palace was indeed built before Esparin was founded. So, clearly, it must have been found by Baerauble, used as a prison, then abandoned and found by Artair Hornbow, and then abandoned and taken over by War Wizards again. Makes sense. forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9685&whichpage=9Though, unrelated to FR lore... The Silver Solution was basically stolen from Dragon Age: Origins. Only a Grey Warden can slay an Archdemon. And Harry Potter, I guess, since all the Esparin nobles are Horcruxes for Uldormort. Also with some Witcher influence. Clearly Fero Fenden became Geralt of Rivia. And since many have brought up the NPCs. I'll say this... yes, it's not easy, but there's many tricks to help make memorable NPCs. When in doubt, just steal characters from elsewhere, and make them your own. Fergus was based on a mix of Joffrey Baratheon, Commodus in Gladiator, and Caligula in I, Claudius (not quite that mad, but the headaches are there), and maybe others. Procks was Quasimodo and Claudius from I, Claudius (I had watched that old show shortly before I started this story). And all evil wizards are probably some variation of Jon Irenicus (except King Sarevicus who was a nice guy and not a wizard, just with a name mixed from Sarevok and Irenicus). And that's all, folks! I'm now officially retired.
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Nicoen
Proven Member
Posts: 225
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Post by Nicoen on Sept 2, 2021 15:24:37 GMT -5
Thank you very much for 3½ years of amazing stories, mysterious plots, thrilling scenes and immersive roleplaying. I feel lucky to have been a big part of your plots and have enjoyed it immensely since the beginning. It has been the best time with this good old game I've had, and I've played it since it launched back in 2002. So well done! You'll be missed.
Speaking of keeping notes. I've been torturing myself through these years and kept all the information in the in-game journal, but it somehow worked out. I just tried to copy it all out and put it into Google Docs and it turns out to be 35 pages of text. Whew! That's a lot of notes.
I hope you're proud of what you've achieved here and go on to continue doing things that make you happy and hopefully allows your great(and sometimes twisted) mind to keep the creative juices flowing, for yourself and/or others.
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Post by grivel on Sept 2, 2021 20:05:17 GMT -5
Sorry to see it end. I will always have Manus' bakery to remember you by.
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Post by mordred on Sept 5, 2021 12:57:19 GMT -5
Oh wow, very sorry to hear you are leaving/have left. We’ve only briefly chatted and I caught the tail end of your multi-year plot, but it’s a loss for FRC on all accounts!
It’s been fun and memorable 🙂 wish you all the best for the future!
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Post by DM Sauron on Sept 5, 2021 13:12:10 GMT -5
When it comes to events and stories, you have set the bar high for the new DM team, Plotter.
It was great to work with you as builder, EDM and DM.
... It is known one of Plotter's PC saved noob paladin Holance's life in Greatgaunt during my first day playing here.
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Post by Masterbard Alyster Darkharp on Sept 6, 2021 17:42:06 GMT -5
We go way back man. Like a long way back. You have always presented characters and plots that set a high bar. You have been a valuable member of the FRC community, and team. Loved all the roleplay we ever did together. A VERY fond farewell.
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