I'm not applying for that Borsail role, but if I were...

[IAmJacksOpinion]

... I'd play it in such a way as to give Borsail a reason to even be open right now.

But more about that in a moment, first I wanna talk to the new players on the forums and give them a bit of information they might not know:
1) Allanak has an arena. It's south of the Bazaar, near the Atrium. We used to use this as a place to hold arena events, or to execute Delerak's latest PCs. Now it's mostly just a place to solo-RP jogging if you have a dorf with a focus on cardio.
2) When you hear bells chiming in Allanak it means there's an arena event or execution about to start in the arena, and you got about 10 minutes to hustle on over there to watch it.
3) Borsail also used to have a clan for combat-focused PCs called "The Wyverns" that used to go out and capture things for the arena. I think they retried it a couple years ago, but  it failed because the leader stored when he couldn't find the right bedazzled skinny jeans to go with his mask or something...

Alright, so Borsail is supposedly the premier Noble House of Allanak. They got there by owning the slave market and the Arena. Since there are no slave PCs or Arena events anymore, I think it's more accurate to say that "Borsail is the premier house to play a Mary Sue whose hair is complimented by the color red." At that rate, it's kind of surprising that they're open instead of Tor, though I -suspect- that the reason is so that Oash and Borsail nobles can secretly have secret Red vs Blue ginka wrestling matches over at that bar in Meleth's Circle. Maybe someday I'll shadow someone in there and find out...

So, anyways, Borsail has no arena events anymore and hires no combat PCs anymore. But you can fix that! You, person who is not me and who can stand to play both social-only roles and leaders. Here are some ideas to include in your special app to make it stand out:

1) Instead of hiring slavers, why not hire gladiators? This is probably more of an imm/doc level change, but could probably be pushed towards in IC ways. I've had a Noble hire me as a bodyguard when that wasn't an actual clan role. People have been hired as barbers and stuff. Hire yourself some PC gladiators d00der. Failing that...

2) Start a Citizen Gladiators program of some kind. Any indie or clannie who can get permission from their Sarge can join a group of fighters that hold an arena event every IG month (2 weeks IRL) or whatever.

3) Start a "Champion of Allanak" contest, held yearly, where the latest sparring circle tough guys (of Allanaki birth and human blood) can compete in the arena for the glory of being named the "Champion of Allanak." Bonus points for style if the title is accompanied by an improbably large and shiny belt.

4) This one isn't for prospective Borsail Nobles but rather for the Templars, and it's secret, so come in real close so I can whisper it in your ear... "Psst. Did you know that killing people in the arena adds both length and girth to your penis? Penis is a hidden skill. It's also the only skill that loses points when you type "order big subdue elf; order 2.big kill elf" when you could be typing "pull cord" in the Arena!"


Interested in playing a Noble to do these things, but don't have a concept? Don't worry, I got you covered there too!

Title: Make Borsail Great Again!
Sdesc: the paunchy, orange-touped braggadocio

The rest is up to you!

[Vox]

This is excellent. I second this sentiment.

[IAmJacksOpinion]

If I wasn't totally into my role right now, I would probably actually put in my first rolecall app ever... But I am totally into my role right now, so take some initiative Jesse!

[Akariel]

Can confirm that 'Penis' is a hidden skill on all characters that only grows in size when you murder people in the arena.

[TheWanderer]

what an original idea. i'm sure no borsail in the last two RL years has thought to round together gladiators.

[Barsook]

If I wasn't totally into my role right now, I would probably actually put in my first rolecall app ever... But I am totally into my role right now, so take some initiative Jesse!

[LauraMars]

Trust me, every Borsail noble wants to hire gladiators.

It's awfully hard to do so when you're only allowed two aides and can't hire any combatants though. For some darn strange reason, nobody wants to join a clan as a fighter when you can't actually join the clan as a fighter!

[IAmJacksOpinion]

what an original idea. i'm sure no borsail in the last two RL years has thought to round together gladiators.

I feel like you picked 2 years because whatever you're referring to happened like 1 year and 8 months ago or something. But honestly 2 months without sweet, sweet arena is too long, IMO. We used to be murdering people in there almost on the weekly. Back in my day. Sonny.

[Jihelu]

Make the underground arena.
Staff can't tell us what to do!

[IAmJacksOpinion]

Trust me, every Borsail noble wants to hire gladiators.

It's awfully hard to do so when you're only allowed two aides and can't hire any combatants though. For some darn strange reason, nobody wants to join a clan as a fighter when you can't actually join the clan as a fighter!

I never thought I'd hear the words "only 2 aides" before. You do make a fair point, and I did preamble that idea with "this is probably something for the staffer shorties". But that still leaves two good ideas to make the Arena Great again. LauraMars, you are a gorgeous woman, and I believe that if you weren't my daughter I'd probably be dating you.

[LauraMars]

uuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, thanks.............dad?

edit: oh wait, trump reference. got it.

[IAmJacksOpinion]

You wouldn't have your job as helper if you weren't beautiful.

[Rathustra]

If I wasn't totally into my role right now, I would probably actually put in my first rolecall app ever... But I am totally into my role right now, so take some initiative Jesse!

[Desertman]

[IAmJacksOpinion]

Rathustra, I would be the greatest Arenas Noble that Ginka ever created. I would build such a great arena, along the Southern border of Merchant's Way. And I'd get the elves to pay for it. I have a -terrific- relationship with the elf community.

In fact, I may apply for the role in 2020.

[TheWanderer]

what an original idea. i'm sure no borsail in the last two RL years has thought to round together gladiators.

I feel like you picked 2 years because whatever you're referring to happened like 1 year and 8 months ago or something. But honestly 2 months without sweet, sweet arena is too long, IMO. We used to be murdering people in there almost on the weekly. Back in my day. Sonny.

I picked two years because I've seen consistent interest in rounding gladiators for far more frequent events. It peters out when you can't hire these people into the clan and you discover most current PCs aren't incredibly keen on a profession that's very likely to end in death. You then need to find PCs that were created for the sole reason of being a gladiator.

It's easier harped about on the board than done. Like most of the GDB, I'd say be the change and either play a gladiator or app the Borsail role.

Edit: And also because you made the point of the Wyverns being closed two years ago.

[Tuannon]

The Wyverns are a staggeringly un-fancy Military arm though, aside from the real pointy end who last I knew weren't PC available at all, as in you couldn't even say you were one.

[Refugee]

Every new Borsail noble for the last couple of years has tried to hire gladiators with spectacularly bad results.  People just don't want to play them.  I mean, you'd think they would, but they don't.

It's the first thing they all try to do.

[Jihelu]

I've seen this attempt IC and without giving any information I don't think the person who was offered made anything out of it or died or stored or something.


You think in a world where going outside the city to be a ranger means a chance at dying every time, you think in a world like this people would take training and just risk it in the city for a living.
And in the city you could have crowds cheering your name, whores wanting your body, luxories and what not.


Idk
Maybe we could do the standard cop out of 'be the change' and make gladiator characters for Borsail? Maybe we won't. I know I won't. I like the concept though and I might in the future,

" as in you couldn't even say you were one."
I don't think this is the case but I might be wrong.

[valeria]

I've been watching a lot of Spartacus lately...

But no really.  Nobles are all political roles.  There are a lot of awesome things to do with nobles that have nothing to do with trying to make Borsail (or Tor) into a combat clan.  If you go in with that mentality, you're going to get disappointed because you basically can't do it.

If you go in with the idea that your Borsail is going to reopen the Wyverns (or your Tor, the Scorpions), you are going to have a very bad time.  I've seen it over and over.  Unless you explicitly state that to staff in your application, make your application contingent on that, and get some statement from staff that yeah they're totally open to that with the consolidation of the playerbase now.

[Refugee]

The Amber Wyverns experienced pretty much a clan wipe at the hands of mantis and efforts to get them going again failed due to leader storages and leaderless recruit deaths, and staff closed the clan.  Most the PC Borsail nobles have lamented the loss because it severely hamstrings the ability to pull off the role.

Don't know of any time when you couldn't say you were one if you were, though?

[IAmJacksOpinion]

Well, that's disappointing as fuck. I wouldn't be caught dead playing a noble or an aide. I'd get bored to death within a month and either stop playing or store. And then have that account note to deal with... I know that about myself, therefore I don't do that thing. Better for everybody, really.

There are a lot of awesome things to do with nobles that have nothing to do with trying to make Borsail (or Tor) into a combat clan.  

If you consider tdescing your hair and gossip mongering to be awesome. I'm of the opinion that if the thing you're doing only effects the 6 people you're socially allowed to interact with (only 2 o whom you actually like), then it's probably not all that awesome, and really just part of the neigh invisible political circle jerk. But I guess some people are into that sort of thing...

If you go in with the idea that your Borsail is going to reopen the Wyverns (or your Tor, the Scorpions), you are going to have a very bad time.  

This is a sad, sad state of affairs and makes me realize that it's probably not right to aim all of my ire at the players on this one. But I still think there are ways you could make this sort of thing working...

As far as players not wanting to play gladiators, I think that's circumstantially flawed. If Borsail could hire and train gladiators as an open, recruit IG part of the clan, I bet we'd have gladiators. I understand that they can't actually do that thing (*shakes fist at the sky*), but if you just put a post on the rumor board one day that you're hiring gladiators, you're going to get two types:
1) People who saw that and rolled up a new character for it, and who can barely take on a scrab.
2) People who already have characters, and had to come up with some BS reason why now, in the middle of their life, they left X gig to go fight in the arena.

People want to play gladiators. There's just no reasonable opportunity to do so. (Though yeah, okay, the fault's probably not on the PCs for that one.)

But that still leaves ideas 2,3, and 4.

[evilcabbage]

people want to play gladiators but there is no point to playing a gladiator who gets trained to die.

gladiators are there to be spectacles, mostly so they can rip shit apart and scream and shout.

when you kill said gladiator off, it makes other pcs not want to play one.

seems pretty obvious to me anyways.

the challenge needs to be realistically dangerous. summoning the gaj on a brand new gladiator is retarded. everyone knows this.


spoken from a cabbage who has never gladiated before.

[IAmJacksOpinion]

Agreed. My person type #2 was the one that was strong enough to survive something worth watching, and he has already put 5-10 days into a concept for which it would be completely OOC to run off and fight in the arena.

But yet you sometimes see arena events where they've paid the Byn or the AOD to go kill Braxats as a unit. And people do it, because of the relative safety of numbers.

So again, I think there are ways to do it, just not ones that don't involve some kind of staff support.

[seidhr]

 
People actually don't want to play gladiators because they put a lot of work into their PCs and don't want to lose them in an arena spectacle.  Players are (understandably, I think) skittish about getting into the arena.