Master Ali Jahib

[KathyN]

First of all, I think the idea of a traveling merchant with out-of-the-ordinary items for barter for secrets, gossip, stories, etc. is great! But...as it played out last night, a few of us were rather frustrated and perhaps disappointed. Once again it has alot to do with the time-zone issue which I realize is always going to be a problem at least until there are more staffed hours. I can deal with that when I perceive that the staff is being considerate of the people in earlier time zones. What I didn't like was the response that I got from several people when I asked that things be speeded up just a bit; being told to 'be patient'. Well I had been patiently waiting with one charactor for over 2 hours on Sunday and also quite awhile on Saturday, and I was not the only one! Most of us serious players have real jobs on Monday morning that we have to go to and staying up until 11:00 PM or later on a Sunday evening is not that easy! I strongly suggest that if special things like this are going to take place, they be scheduled to begin earlier or on a weekend so that the people who are playing on the east coast (or England!) aren't forced to stay up late just to participate. It is the role-playing aspect of this game that attracts us...but playing out the scene does take time and staying up late without the assurance that there will be anything when you finally get your turn can make players wonder if they are being treated fairly.
If I offended anyone I am sorry...but to you people on the West Coast...try to remember that it is two or three hours (or more) later in the evening for the rest of us! (And we need our beauty sleep!) http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif
Thanks for understanding

[StaciD]

Kathy and all,

We certainly do understand your aggravation over last night's delays and waits. It was just as frustrating for us, since there was little we could do once Ali Jahib was on stage, and we saw how long it was going to take. Please understand the this is the first time we've done this type of event, and we had no idea how many people would be waiting, or how long each individual transaction would take. I am sure we have learned a great deal, and will be better able to deal effectively the next time Ali Jahib appears.

Staci

[Atama]

I just have one thing to say... It's beta. Everybody is still learning here. Things like this that cause problems are good in my opinion, because when mistakes are made, the next time around things will be better.

And I understand about time zone problems. As a Rememberer, I sometimes do sessions for people in places like England or Australia that can only come on after midnight, and I end up not going to sleep until 1AM or later (like I did last night http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif ). And I have to get up for work at 5:45. That's my choice to do that, though, and I think it's worth it to help people develop their backgrounds, it lets them provide a better RP for their character.

This game is great, and I see it getting better all the time. Good job Skotos and players alike.

[Aeriale]

I whole-heartedly agree with a few things. I think it was worth it. I stayed up 'till 11 last night, and I have to get up at 4:45. So, I was tired all day today, but, that was okay. My dress is awesome! I actually didn't mind waiting, because at first, I had no idea what I was going to trade. My character apparently doesn't get out much, cuz I never hear rumors or secrets. But, after hearing Margaret's honey cake story, and Santlar's poem (right?), I found it was okay. I traded a memory. (And, OOCly, for those who were there - shalom isn't a shellfish http://www.skotos.net/ubb/biggrin.gif )
Speaking of which, I also agree with Kathy, about the idea of the merchant - only, it's not a very profitable trade, is it? Pretty gowns and stuff for mere secrets and stories? Hmm . . . Oh, well.
Aeriale

[Atama]

Hehe, I'm sure SOME of those secrets were good enough for Ali to make some profit off of.

Blackmail, for instance, pays very well... http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif

[KathyN]

Hey I KNOW it's beta, that's why I was offering feedback in the firstplace. I really hope we have more of the same thing... and this just shows that alot of people want to participate in what's going on...and might feel left out if they couldn't stay around all night. There has to be a way that everyone can participate in some event; other wise I'd guess alot of people will drop out.
We've got people at all levels of abilities for role-playing and some have got alot to learn! The ideas for mini-events like scavenger hunts sound very very interesting and I hope something along those lines might be developed. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif

[stealthkat]

I would like to throw in that I am confident that a lot was learned from last night, since last night was actually a multiple event evening.

Ali Jahib may have been the main attraction, but the Skotos staff was still able to provide special items needed for the Poets' Brotherhood meeting, and I believe there was some other Guild meeting being held as well. There was a lot to juggle, and I don't think that any of the balls were dropped.

I am sure that next month when Ali Jahib appears that things will run smoother, and start earlier. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif I also assume that first appearances of other new characters like Ali will also run smoother. Since the time zone issue is, to me, pretty much well-known at this point, I figured that the 'late start' must have been due to problems like getting the character up and going, creating the items, etc. So, although my character may not have been the most patient of residents, I waited my turn and tried to give those with time constraints a chance to go ahead of me. In that respect, I want to compliment the players for being flexible and creative to help make the best out of the event. Two things in particular were: I liked the fact that characters volunteered to keep a scroll of who was in line, and once inside the tent the players worked with Ali Jahib to speed things up by writing their poems on scrolls instead of presenting them.

Overall, I really felt that the chaotic atmosphere of 'imprisoned' residents starving for the new and unusual was captured and dealt with well by all. It was almost like trying to get teenie beenie babies at a McDonald's, only without the fistfights! :P

Kathy

[Aeriale]

Originally posted by KathyN:
The ideas for mini-events like scavenger hunts sound very very interesting and I hope something along those lines might be developed. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif

That's an awesome idea! That's great! I wanna go on a scavenger hunt! http://www.skotos.net/ubb/biggrin.gif I'm serious, that's cool.

Umm . . . Another thing - since there's no real religion at Marrach, aside from the Priestess', are we gonna have Christmas? Wouldn't that be fun?

Anyway, more later . . .
~Aeriale

[stealthkat]

Okay, I know this is not on the topic of Ali Jahib anymore, but to add to Ariale's thought of a celebration, how about some type of yuletide feast...much like a madrigal feast...which could celebrate the time of year when the season is supposed to change (even though it won't change in the Castle.) This could still be run by Priestess Nadira as, forgive my ignorance here, it seems that what the items in the altar area are geared towards a more druidcal worship of the seasons. It would also give us more flexibility in that the feast could be held at any time, not necessarily at Christmastime, in order to get the most attendees possible.

Sorry for the tangent,
Kathy

And now back to Ali Jahib...

[Aeriale]

Sorry, I'm interuppting the flow of Ali-Jahib, but, that's how posts go.
The Madrigal Dinner/feast idea is awesome. But, that means the nobles have to sing! Oh, no! http://www.skotos.net/ubb/eek.gif
Anyway, there are some cool medieval Christmas traditions that would be cool to do, if we did something like that. I don't remember tham all now, but, I can find them, if this idea is half-way credible. (It'd be fun to RP, at any rate)
Well, yuletide greetings, etc,
Aeriale

[JeffCrook]

Originally posted by Aeriale:
only, it's not a very profitable trade, is it? Pretty gowns and stuff for mere secrets and stories? Hmm . . . Oh, well.

Am I the only person who has read "Bazaar of the Bizarre"?

[Aeriale]

Probably. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/biggrin.gif


Sorry, what is it? Who's it by?
And there's a kid's show, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, about kids telling freaky stories by firelight, an one episode featured just that sort of thing. Except the woman in this gave things away for "unimportant" things, like friendship, and the relationship with her sister, etc, until the girl had to take the woman's place, because of her greed. (In the end, the woman was too greedy, and so the girl was saved.)

Anyway,
As always,
Aeriale

[nimrod]

Am I the only person who has read "Bazaar of the Bizarre"?


Oh man! Someone else who has read Fritz Leiber. (I think that is spelled right, I don't have the book in front of me)
For those of you that don't know, his characters of Fafred (sp?) and the Grey Mouser adventured long before there was any such thing as D&D. The stories that he printed have been reprinted in the last 2 years. Get them, they are worth the reading since all are a collection of short stories, though a few novellas exist.
My question is .. if Master Ali Jahib is running the Bazaar of the Bizarre .. does that mean that the items are worthless in some way? http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif

Jim Stokes aka Robert

[JeffCrook]

Originally posted by nimrod:
My question is .. if Master Ali Jahib is running the Bazaar of the Bizarre .. does that mean that the items are worthless in some way?

Well, when I heard - an arabic merchant giving away great stuff for a song, that was my first thought.

For those who haven't heard of it, "Bazaar of the Bizarre" is a wonderful short story by Fritz Leiber. I have seen some "Best Ever" lists compiled by some of the all-time great modern fantasy and sci-fi writers, and this story shows up on those lists on a consistent basis. As Mr Nimrod stated a bit incompletely, the story is about the two greatest fantasy characters ever written - Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser - and their adventure in Lankhmar with a member of a wandering merchant race called the Devourers (I think). There are many many more of these wonderful stories about Fafhrd and the Mouser, including one full-length novel. Strangely, many people have never heard of Fritz Leiber. But you may have heard of one of his novels without knowing it - Conjure Wife. I believe it was made into a movie. He died in 1992.

[Atama]

Most people never heard of Leiber? Blasphemy! He is one of the greatest fantasy authors of all time, up there with Moorcock. I loved the names of their weapons, too... I think Fafhrd's two-hander was called Greywand, and the Mouser had a rapier called Scalpel and a dagger called Cat's claw. The stories are real classy, if you ever want to see what a true warrior/thief is, read these books. TSR even made a D&D game supplement back in the day based on Lankhmar.

[ShannonA]

Fafhrd & Gray Mouser is definitely some of the best dark fantasy around. White Wolf recently printed the whole series in 4 compilations. I believe the first might have been called _Farewell to Lankhmar_.

TSR even made a D&D game supplement back in the day based on Lankhmar.

About a half-dozen of them, actually, starting with a very nice 128-page book called "Lankhmar" which detailed the city in terrific detail. They also did a board game back in the 1970s.

Shannon

[Aeriale]

Really . . .

[nimrod]

As Mr Nimrod stated a bit incompletely,


I didn't say I was 100% accurate. I also remember saying that I did not have the book in front of me. So there. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif
Of course this prompted me to go get said book out of storage to look at again. 'Ill met in Lankhmar' is the first of four books that tell about Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser's adventures. 'Bazaar of the Bizarre' and 'The Jewels in the Forest' are in there and well worth the reading. Now if I could only find where I put the other three.. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif

Jim Stokes aka Robert

[Darren Brimhall]

Getting back to work scheduals and special events, does anybody else out there have what I have; the rotating shift? Starting Monday night, I'll be doing thirteen days straight of Graveyard Shift, and that's going to cut into playtime...
And if I get a invite to the Winter Ball, boy am I going to be waxed. I just hope things work out.

Darren brimhall

[JeffCrook]

Originally posted by nimrod:
As Mr Nimrod stated a bit incompletely,

I didn't say I was 100% accurate. I also remember saying that I did not have the book in front of me. So there.

I only mentioned that your statement was incomplete because you failed to mention that Fafhrd and the Mouser are the two greatest fantasy heroes ever.