[OOC] Farewell!

Yes, the title may well say it all... Firstly, I have to apologise for not posting anything like this around a week ago (to give everyone plenty of notice) but my 'life' took over and I've found myself very busy for the last week, away from WoW. I shall now be returning, probably later this evening, possibly tomorrow, for a further week. And then, on SUNDAY 28th of August 2011, I'll be logging onto WoW for a final time.

Still not got it..? In short, I'm putting the game down, most likely for ever, most definitely for a VERY long time. It's incredibly difficult to precisely explain 'why' without delving into the intimate detail of my real-life situation (which is OK, but this is a partially public forum, so I'll try to keep it free of too much information). I'm now moving on from college into a decent university to study Classics, hopefully, that's Latin/Ancient History/Literature and so on, for all you philistines out there! Yes, that does mean I'm YOUNG and I was -very- young when I set up the Apothecarium two years ago. Having only just turned 18... You can do the math... I do not think, when I set out on a quest to find me some Forsaken RP, I fully appreciated quite how time-consuming and difficult running an RP Guild would be (especially since I've been away more than I've been with you all). Conversely, I certainly never appreciated how brilliant, entertaining and heart-warming a Guild could be.

Having set up the Guild (once the Apothecarium now the Spine) we, more or less, went from strength to strength (with a few blips, no doubt). And now, it's got to the stage where I will genuinely no longer be able to devote sufficient time to WoW to lead the Spine.

"But Via! You could just hop on once in a while and stay as a member?! WHY VIA?! WHY?!" - yes, I hear you shout! And, of course, I did consider this... Let me explain why I'm leaving 'completely' rather than hanging on for the nostalgia.

1. A Fresh Start. Frankly, I don't think it would be fair for me to hand the leadership over to someone else and give them a liscence to 'do their own thing' and then proceed to stick about, lurking like a bad smell... It would cause drama, people would come to me with problems/issues, I'd end up being drawn into leadership discussions even though I'd hardly ever be around.

2. Cost. The Spine is literally the ONLY reason I still play WoW. I don't PvP, I don't PvE, I don't level alts in a serious way, I don't RP on any other characters (apart from very occasionally). It made a little sense to keep paying when I was leading the Guild and I had a little time to give. But looking into the future, I will have even LESS time to play. Yes, I could stay around on an alt', but I really can't afford to pay to play once in a blue moon.

3. Time. I'm going to have even less time to play than I did before, I'll hopefully be making new friends and getting myself involved in new things. I'd rather free myself up to really enjoy University, rather than have WoW take up the time I will have free during the holidays (although I do love you all very much, what I mean to say is that it's about time I stuck my head back in the real world for a while!)

For those three reasons (and a few smaller ones) I decided it would be sensible to leave 'for good' rather than step down from leading the Guild and then hang about in the corner as the elder statesman.

"What about us?! YOU'LL JUST FORGET THE LAST TWO YEARS?!" Definitely not. WoW is my secret, guilty pleasure. And it's been an absolute pleasure. I've met a group of people who have made me laugh, cry (in a good way!), jump for joy and type fast. I'll never forget the earliest exploration of Azeroth made by the Apothecarium, particularly our time in Ashenvale. I'll never forget the epic Isiliosis event, when the entire server joined in and Darsolenew Duskmantle met his match. I'll never forget the formation of the Spine, when you all came back after a rough patch and have since generated the BEST RP in WoW I've ever witnessed.

It's very easy to occasionally get down and consider time on WoW to be 'wasted' time. Well, let me say that right now I'd be feeling just that way about these 2 years, it wasn't for the Spine. There's no heart or true friendship or genuine FEELING in raiding or leveling (and I was in a raiding Guild back before I joined the Sha'tar... I wasn't very good). What has made this decision so tricky is knowing that I've actually got a lot to take away from WoW, because of the Spine. We've organised massive events, involving people from all over Europe and weaved a creative storyline which would put Metzen to shame (and put Knaak out of a job).

"And the Spine?! What happens to it now?!" Part of the reason why this announcement has been so delayed is because I really had to figure all this out with the other officers first. I have now discussed my departure numerous times with the departmental leaders and Geriand and I've had time to consider how the Spine will go on long after I've gone.

We're under no illusions: Guilds often struggle with a change of leadership. I've been around for 2 years, the Guild has never known another leader (although I've been quite distant at times), but I'm certain that as a currently thriving RP community, the Spine will keep going and create fun RP.

It's been decided that the Guild will NO LONGER HAVE A SOLITARY LEADER. Rather, the officers will co-lead the Guild as a sort of triumvirate, with their deputies helping them through.

Manners wishes to step down from his leadership of the Deathstalkers, and he will now take the roll of deputy (retaining his title of 'Shadow Marshall'). Chloe has volunteered to create a new character, a Rogue, with which to take up the leadership of the Deathstalkers.

Marwonaeth will therefore be free to retain leadership of the Apothecaries, and Anthraxius will continue to lead the Deathguard.

The 'leadership' with therefore look something like this...
Deathstalkers: Chloe (on a new character) + Manners.
Deathguard: Anthraxius + Dresta.
Apothecaries: Marwonaeth + Teorius.
& Geriand (who is still looking after recruitment and these forums).

Marwonaeth will take over the Guild Leader spot (although the rank will be re-named 'Instructor', thus becoming the same as the other officer ranks), but will still share leadership with the other officers.

The intention is that without a sole leader, the officers will be forced to ALL fully engage in the Guild, share responsibility and work together to create storylines. In the past, I've often struggled to galvanise certain officers to take up the lead in terms of events, on reflection, this may largely have been because I was looked to to dictate the direction of the Guild and, as such, individual contribution and departmental events were stifled. This will change and the three new leaders will work together to create strong identities for each department (something we've struggled with in the past) as well as create compelling storylines for the Guild as a whole.

FINALLY: I fully intend to remain a member of this forum. While I DO NOT WANT PEOPLE PM'ING ME WITH IN-GAME ISSUES, I am perfectly happy to remain in-touch via this forum. I cannot promise to be on it as regularly as I am at the moment, but I'll do my best to stop by and say hello once in a while. I may even continue to post any creative writing I get up to and I'll certainly take an interest in anything anyone else posts.

My last day with the Spine will be on the 28th, please stop by at some point and find me to say hello (I won't be on ALL this week, but I'll be around often enough). DETAILS OF VIATRIX'S IC DEPARTURE AND FINAL RP ADVENTURE WILL BE FOUND IN AN UPCOMING THREAD.

Is the silence in response to this post... Shock or apathy or..? Or can people not reply in this part of the forum..? To clarify: I was hoping for thoughts on the news, the changes to come and maybe... Some memories of myself or Viatrix that you'll remember..? Erm... Y'know, like the usual 'oh gosh you're leaving?!' kinda stuff... The lack of responses is puzzling... Especialy since it has 30+ views..?

We will miss you man, I hope everything goes well for you and also hope that you don't forget us either, because I for one will never forget you.

...I don't really know what to say...It's a bit sad, but I understand your reasons...I don't know if I'll be online much during this week, but I -will- come on Sunday;)

Half of these views was me refreshing the page. >.>
But you already know what I think on this, so I don't have anything much to say. Your enthusiasm will be missed.

What can I say, Via.

You have been the best guild leader I've seen in the WoW, if not the activest, but best. The reason for this is simple:

1. You're a kind person. You're willing to allow people to prove themselves before you judge them. As a leader, you've not acted like a tyrant, but you've listened to peoples opinions, thoughts and ideas. You also got a wonderful sense of humour.
2. You know how to defend your guild/people in it. If a guildmember brings bad reputation to the guild, you've discussed about it, watched where it has gone and acted according to it. You didn't let people to take over your events (Grem's glorious testicles, remember? ).
3. You have long patience. It took months for me to remember the "i" capitals, but you managed to make me learn !
4. You're fantastic at organizing and creating events. I do not know how long you have planned them, but they've never been a dissapointment, for sure.
5. You've put your guild before your own life, at times. I don't need to point out, but you've sacrificed your time to us, and I do appreciate it.

Though we've had our differences, discussions and arguments, I never felt like I hated you/disliked you. I always saw a hint of reason and wisdom in your words.

I will miss you, not only as a Guild Leader but a friend. However, I understand why have you decided to act like this, and I wish all good for you in your future. You better visit the forums atleast once a year, however! ^^

You will be missed, best guild leader in existence.

I've only know you for a bit but I know ^ is true.
Good luck and god speed. .....

I will be brief and I wont say much, because in all honesty, I never got to play that much with you Via, and I am sad I wont get the chance to explore any further RP with you.

I can however completely relate to your departure and the feelings that comes with it combined with all the new stuff and all the people that you will in due time lose more and more contact with but still carry them with you in your memories. I spent 2 and a half years in my old guild, and I held them very dearly and I still remember them with fondness and recall all the good memories.
As such I am tipping my hat at you for your dedication to this great guild and hope that your legacy will pass down the Hall of Fame wich is very much well deserved. We never got the time to play that much, but I know a dedicated, well organized, good leader when I see one. Some one, according to your fellow Forsaken and to what I have read, a leader that have taken the guild through rough times and still not given up. I have been a close man at hand for both good and bad leaders in my days, and I will tip my hat and bow when there is some one that evidently deserves it.

I wish you all the luck in the future, be it in gaming, studies, work or every day life.
Lets just hope that we can keep what you created running for the sake of your memory, good times that have been, and good times to come, even in your absence.
Cheers!

It'll be hard to say anything that doesn't turn into a cliché but.. Hell... You'll be missed!

Blimey, not news I was expecting, I can't really add much to the chaps previously to me, and am having the devils own job trying to find time to log on, but will definately make the effort before you go, although I'm going to be stuck in a field on the Sunday dressed as a Celt, so I'll have to get my g'byes in before then. What I will say, is to echo what has been said here, from a personal perspective, Some people take leadership in games as an exercise in ego, we've probably all seen it, but this is definately not the situation in your case, from my perspective you took your role very much as making sure your guild have fun first and foremost, whilst giving us a definate framework and hierarchy to work with.
I can give a few examples, but perhaps the easiest is the occasional "I need x number of people to come and guard me doing x" How Tedious would that be, with an overbearing Uber God King/Queen Dictator? very... How much fun was it however, getting involved in all sorts of shenanigans that not only provided me with RP fun at the time, but also advanced my own personal RP, and created situations where it actually sparked new ideas and things to do as my character?

Immense fun, whether it was murdering people in a Silvermoon shop, or delivering a mouldy old bone to Oshu Kazil, or any of the others, I knew I wouldn't just be dragged along to make you look big. And thats another thing, whilst being this devious, callous creature Verranos, you always managed to involve everyone else in what was going on, and allow them to play to their strengths. I was quite interested in how Viatrix worked, as for every moment she was this bloated thaumaturge and mistress of an Undead Legion, there were occasional flashes of humanity that shone through, or maybe I was just imagining it Either way, she was one of the few Spine that Karl occasionally has let his well hidden intellect come through to, on occasion, although I do love the web of secrets that some of the characters have, and who knows what, and all that.
So personally, thank you very much, for enhancing my game, and leading such a diverse, mental-in a good way, and friendly bunch. I think the Arathi event, rightly being claimed as The Event ( in the future, we will talk like Vietnam veterans "What was Arathi like? You don't know man...you weren't There!" ) is an amazing High note to go out on. It felt like being in a war film, I cannot speak highly enough of it.

As to you as a person, you always struck me as friendly and a smart person, with good people management skills ( if such can be discerned via web based communication and all that) and I am all the more impressed by this, by how relatively young you are, please don't take that as condescension, it really isn't meant that way. Making a decision like this is a very self aware move, showing a damn sight more maturity than most people twice your age, and Hells yes I consider myself one of them...well, nearly, I ain't 40 Yet!

So you better not be a total stranger to these boards, and If I'd known you were a history and classics nut, we would have bored people silly on Guild Chat, I finally got round to doing a degree in such myself, just the last year or so, part way through it through the Open University, so good luck with that. I find it hellishly interesting.

Just like, Thanks boss, for being a fun boss
I will try to log on some point before I go away for the weekend on Friday, if not, take care dude, and all the best.

This thread is making me simultaneously very happy and very sad... It's a testament to the Guild that WoW has become a lot more than just a casual video game (I'm not actually a 'gamer' anyway, I ended up in WoW by accident...), it's ended up a place where I've made friends and learnt lessons. I will hop on these boards occasionally, and I trust that many of you will stick around and keep them interesting.

Dear Viatrix,

I know that I have not been in your guild for as long as many others you share those aforementioned good memories and feelings with, so it would be a cheek of me to try and compare my experiences with those you have known far longer than myself. But I offer what I can, because I believe that I owe you this at the very least.

I too will be leaving for university in September and as such will be unsure whether my time on WoW can be kept at the impeccable standard one can expect from members of The Spine. I do hope however that wherever you go from this point forwards, you will have a lot of fun and hopefully bring a new collection of good memories to add to the pile you have crafted and created from your time in The Apothecarium and The Spine.

It is with great regret that I remind you that we never did get around to your interview with this humble Scribe, as I am sure it would have been a wonderful experience to learn of the great characters that were Darsolenew Duskmantle and Viatrix Verranos.

Nevertheless, where my time within the game may fail, I do hope to frequent this forum instead. Where I may be unable to craft a story in WoW, I hope to create in the story sections on this site. With luck, you will happen upon them and enjoy them all the same.

It is with no hint of sarcasm or irony that I say my time in The Spine is and was without a doubt the best months I have spent in WoW through my long years playing the game. The people were friendly and full of fun, the interactions and activities were never short of outstanding and the storylines brought out such emotion in me, that for a brief moment I could believe it to be real. A guild that was thanks in no small part to your efforts.

So in my summation, I wanted to thank you Viatrix. Due to the time and care you placed into this guild, you have made something fantastic, and I am very glad that I was a part of it, however briefly.

Best wishes for the future.
From your humble Scribe
Avikk.

I can't really think of an introduction to this, to truly display my opinion on this, so I'll cast you straight into it.

I remember when I first joined the Apothecarium, back in October/November/December on Vraenesha, and I remember I was continuously reminded of how I should anticipate your return with awe and respect, just as my guild members did. And when I first showed you the Black's Disease and Parablackout... Fun times, really. I was nervous around you back then, simply because reputation as that time's best guild leader.
When I climbed to the rank of Master Chemist, I remember how I started to view you more as a friend and less as some godlike being, and when you laid out the essentials of the Isiliosis event, I truly realised the competence of not only your leadership, but also your
You are possibly the best role player I've ever encountered in my four years of WoWRP. Enthusiastic, realistic and genuinely good, I would always look forward to your return back on Darsolenew, just to enjoy the quality of text you would produce, and the passion behind it. Both of your characters have been wandering stories, and that never ceased to inspire and amaze me.
You were the sole reason I ever stayed in the original Apothecarium, and continued on into the Spine - if you had left back then, at the end of the Isiliosis chain, I wouldn't have gone into the Spine.

Throughout the entirety of the Apothecarium, you were the living essence of the entire guild - it could very easily be represented by just seeing your character, and there were barely any quarrels or issues when you appeared in holidays. Of course, the days when you weren't here were rather silent, which was what led to the downfall of it.
And even then, where we all new that the Apoth was going downward, you remained steadfast and organised the successor of the Apothecarium, the Spine, and you even managed to reel in most of the officer team, and a few members. That in itself is impressive, when most had left due to lost interest.
And once we had the team, you reset the guild to it's former glory, and we quickly established ourselves as the best Forsaken roleplaying guild out there.

I salute you as a fantastic person, and as a fantastic roleplayer. You have been beyond enthusiastic, charismatic and above all - genuinely good.

I wish you good luck for the future, and hope that everything runs smoothly.

-Marw.

Yeash. No good with long goodbyes. Tend not to think about it. Sorry about not being there for your IC departure, I was thinking it was happening at 20:00, not 19:00. As for real life, well.. that's the curse, isn't it? You hate it, but you can't escape from it, no matter how hard you try. Hopefully you'll go on to have a good future! My only real regret was not being able to RP with you. But, you never know... one day, something might remind you of the game, then a time in your life will come when all is well and you'll want to see how your creation has got on. That, is the day when it was worth it.

... I'm getting too philiosophical. LOOK AT ME! I'VE GOT A JAR OF DIIIRT! I'VE GOT A JAR OF DIIRT! *runs around with a jar of dirt on her head.*

Anyway, enjoy real life! Maybe one day we'll see you around Via!

Said everything before, not going to repeat myself.

Have fun, be well, show up sometimes to say hi and let us know everything goes as you've expected/planned.

Good luck!

I was away on holiday when you actually left, and I had no idea that you were planning to leave. Torge told me you'd gone when I returned! My heart genuinely sank! I didn't know you for as long as most of our members, but you sure left one hell of an impression on me. I hope you read this at some point so you know that I'm going to miss you - a lot!

Well, at least you’ve decided to stay on the forums. I’d hate to have to say goodbye to you forever.

I lost my internet, so I couldn't come to your last event Via, I am really sorry.