With the recent events IG that turned Tilverton into a player town, I wanted to write a "transparency" post for the community and make our views known, as well as address some rumors about the Wyrd Cabal. Considering the Cabal is taking a leading role in this city, I felt like speaking openly and sincerely was the best way to approach this. If anyone has any doubts beyond what's explained here, feel free to DM me on Discord [Drowking].
- Why Tilverton?
Let's start with the big question. Why Tilv? Why not just go to Edana? This is a question we asked ourselves many, many times, and generelly we were always on the fence. To us, it didn't make sense RPly to have a necromantic cult in the Holy Kingdom of Talathas. Historically, Mercadia has always been a land of good and light, a land of knights and clerics, with strong religious roots in its lore and RP. So, us being there, would always be that stain on the theme of the kingdom. It would always create an uncomfortable environment for those who pursue that fantasy, and we didn't want to put anyone in that position, just because we pursued a different kind of fantasy.
This wasn't something decided arbitrarily. There were many discussions about it between Cabal members, with Mercadian leadership and with GMs. Originally, we intended to build a city from deeded houses in the bigger Ka'mella island. But being stranded from the main continent meant being away from RP most of the time. So we turned our attention to the mainland and Tilverton seemed like the obvious choice to create a place where evil / dark RP could exist without stepping on anyone's toes.
- Is Tilverton a player city?
Yes. In the sense of being a city inhabited by players, whereas before it had housing options, but it was more of a hunting spot / quest hub. The Consortium spawners will be removed, afaik, and moved elsewhere. No, they won't simply go away. As a player city, Tilverton has a NPC leader (Mayor Helena, the former Consortium scholar) and a player leader (yours truly, Overseer Zomactelonyvarix).
However, an important distinction: despite being a player town, Tilverton isn't a Nation. That means we won't have nation systems, such as npc guards or criminal list. That isn't to say, over time, it can't become one.
- What will happen to the Wyrd Cabal?
The Wyrd Cabal and the Tilverton faction merged together into the Freeport of Tilverton. Everyone currently in the Wyrd Cabal will keep their ranks. The hierarchy will remain basically the same. I'll make some alterations to reflect the new reality and post in the guilds forums soon. The guild stone of the Cabal will be turned into the Freeport of Tilverton guild stone. It will be moved outside of Fort Risencrantz, accessible by anyone who seeks citizenship or to enlist into one of our subsects.
- Will the Wyrd Cabal go on a world domination rampage?
No. That has never crossed our minds. We just wanted to create an environment for evil / dark RP and now we have that chance. We'll focus our attention and energy into making Tilverton a great place for those who seek this kind of experience in the game.
- Don't you think this will split the human race?
Tilverton isn't a human city. It is a city. However, given the nature of the RP of other races, I expect most, if not all, people living in Tilverton will be humans. And no, I don't think it will split the race. Players who don't fit the Mercadian theme would live away anyways. The only difference is that, now, they have a hub for them. Not all humans who join the shard want to be heroes or good, just as not all want to be villains or evil. With both cities, we have a cup of tea for everyone. And since the RP themes are so different, they don't compete with each other either.
Bear in mind I use the term "villain" loosely for lack of a better word. I'm not saying we're enemies. On the contrary, I enjoyed a lot when Mercadia and the Cabal worked together in the Reclamation of Tilverton, despite their differences. I'm sure we can find ways to have fun together whenever possible. "Villain / evil / dark" are just loose terms to refer the alignment of the RP itself, not necessarily a pre-defined disposition of the characters.
- How did Tilverton become a player city?
It was a long, but satisfying process that created many stories for us and others outside the Cabal. And I want to be fully transparent about it. We decided to attempt at Tilverton while we still lived in Ka'mella. I initiated the conversation with GMs and asked if it was possible. I was directed to the "Factions and NPC Leadership" wiki page, then a set of tasks were given to us.
We needed to have a guild house in Tilverton; to live there and create RP there, preferably involving other groups; and most importantly, to make the city feel like a living place, with an on-going story, people coming and going, citizens, etc. This conversation happened last year.
Rome wasn't built overnight and neither was Risencrantz. It took us two months to gather all the resouces to build the guild fortress. During this time, we opened shops in Tilverton. And slowly started to include it in the Cabal's RP, steadily becoming a part of our core. Since the construction of our fort, we hosted dozens of events there and in the city, such as social gatherings, sermons, classes, combat training, meetings etc. And you can expect we will continue now.
It was only after actively working to make Tilverton feel alive (december and january) that we received the green lights to attempt removing the Consortium (this month). I'm making a case of telling all this so there's no mistake: Tilverton wasn't just handed to us, we worked hard to get here and we will continue to work hard to make the city thrive. And in spite of whatever our chars may feel about it, our OOC intention as players is to offer a diverse location that supports a different kind of RP, which I think will be good for the shard in the long term.
- How can I join the new city?
You can DM me on discord to arrange a meeting or apply directly on the guild stone. All proponents will be invited for an interview to get some RP rolling, since that's why we're here. There will be IC announcements soon, about all this.
- Do I need to join the guild stone to live in Tilverton?
No, not at all. Joining will get you the benefits we extend to all members, but it is not a requirement for living there.
- Conclusion: What now?
Now we celebrate! This was a great victory and a great story to be a part of. It serves to show that if you put the effort, anything can be accomplished with RP. This is the true sandbox experience and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. I appreciate everyone involved, staff and players alike. Next saturday, we'll do the celebration event, so stay tuned.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.