I guess it _was_ a busy weekend...

[Lyle H Janney <gwydion@purdue.edu>]

Okay, the first thing I want to say is:

When my only active character, Math, returns from his latest training
session in Port Haven to find out about the recent events (this would
have been around 7/3, or about 3 weeks from the closing of the Nexus)
he would have jumped for joy and strongly argued _for_ the closing.
He has long felt that the Nexus was a military liability, especially with
the upcoming increase in confrontations between the forces of Light
and Darkness.  In fact, the 'portal dead-zone' around Rougtero has
further added to its defensibility.  Yes, Math is very happy about this.
Mike, how does Lexeer feel about it?  Does she want to go home?
We can handle this discussion via direct email.

Now to the crux of the matter.  For my part, while I agree that since
the Nexus was Dan's plot device and he was the only one that really
_needed_ to be consulted, I was under the impression that all GM's
would try to work together to keep from stepping on each other's toes
as a result of _planned_ adventure sequences.  I and, as evidenced
by their reactions (appropriate/mature or not), several others were
taken off-guard by the events surrounding Brandon's adventure.  If
at all possible, I really don't want to see it happen again.  Don't get me
wrong, I'm not on a high-horse here; I know I've done the very same
kind of thing to other GM's in the past, but understand that people do
change and they do learn from their mistakes.  This whole situation
might not have blown up if Brandon had tried, before the 'bomb' was
dropped, to work with the affected GM's.  It's a touchy situation, tho,
since doing so would have tipped his hand and any less-than-mature
GM could have raised a stink even before the adventure got underway.
I'd like to think that all of us GM's are mature and interested in working
together towards advancing the enjoyment of the game for all players,
but time and time again one or more make it political or personal (and,
I think, we have _all_ been guilty of that; _everyone_ on this list as well
as all others who have been or should be).  At any rate, the deed has
been done and the best thing to do is pick up the pieces and see what
kind of damage control can be done for each our respective plot lines.

My plot lines will be slightly modified, but they are for the most part
unharmed.  Several of us have been talking for some time about the
possibility of moving the primary setting to Port Haven for a while, and
I think this is a viable idea (esp. since all portals there are unaffected).
Also, just to make sure there is no confusion, the Nexus is gone, but
the Hall of Doors (a much older plot device set up by, I believe, John
Gamble many years ago) still resides protected in the undersea sludgy
ruins of Karfelon (only accessible via an Otherworlds portal since the
actual Hall itself is trans-dimensional).  Anyone using the Hall as a plot
device only needs to set up another Otherworlds portal outside of the
radius (which _still_ needs to be determined in character) and send a
party in to search out the correct doors.  Oh, and what about the other
dimensional spells; are they also affected by the 'dead-zone'?  All this
needs to be determined in character, so there you have at least a few
instant adventure hooks.  Mind you, I think it would have been nice to
allow at least one week's worth of adventures to occur before the Nexus
actually ceased to exist (Greg had a really good idea for that), especially
since there was no warning to the affected GM's, but I certainly could
not support any idea that would result in a retraction of the events.

I sure wish I had been there this past weekend.  For one, it sounded
like Brandon ran one helluva game that I would have really enjoyed.
Second, it sounds like someone really needed to be there to moderate
some personal interactions.  To everyone who got overheated by this
series of events, as one of the previous advisors of the club, I'd like to
recommend a great way to deal with stress.  Never respond to any
adverse situation with the first thing that comes to mind; let everything
sink in, take a few deep breaths, and think about how you want to be
a part of the situation.  You can let it control you, or you can control
it; the choice is yours.

Lyle