Saturday, June 27, 2009
Keep the home fires burning...
Drac throws another log on the fire, watches the flame slowly spread again.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Another MacTavish Steward!
Hebrin is the second MacTavish Steward, following my recent occupation of the position (I stepped down at the natural conclusion of my term). He came in the same way I did, a result of a last minute switcheroo to get him into the Assembly (thanks Barseback for stepping aside for this purpose). The final vote of the Assembly was a very clear majority for Hebrin over the competition (Jefferson Davis Forbes, again).
Asbgas MacTavish has taken the Assembly seat vacated by Hebrin upon his election.
Congratulations Hebrin!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Why I am in Retreat and Other Mysteries
LadyRobin here, stealing a little space to let you know that even though I'm currently bouncing between 5 minute player and retreat, I'm not going anywhere! I've been swamped with Real Life (school, cancer treatment, illness of parents, etc.) and needed to step back for a bit.
Hopefully, if all goes well, I'll be back in the saddle full time by April. They've changed my chemo and so we are waiting to see how this one works. I have the second round of the latest, mean chemo this Friday, and the first round kicked my butt!
IG, I am on a trip with young Raibeart, hiding from his evil relatives as they come looking to take him away from me. Rage is holding down the fort while we're gone, but I promise we'll be back!
I hope this finds you all well and looking forward to spring/April (not sure if that's spring in Australia, truthfully!)
Your erstwhile relative,
LadyRobin
Friday, February 20, 2009
Steward MacTavish of Scotland
I was asked by a number of members of the National Assembly to consider taking up one of our Clan's two representative positions within the Assembly so that they could nominate me to become Steward at the end of Korna Fraser's second term. Although I wasn't keen to politik my way to the job, i realised that other people were already doing it. As I tended to trust the people who approached me and we had a vacancy anyway, I put myself forward. In the subsequent poll for Steward, Pebm McKenzie was elected with a majority of one vote over myself. I breathed a sigh of relief.
A short while passed, and then Pebm McKenzie migrated to Ireland upon the formation of the new colony there. Scotland was again without a Steward. This was disappointing and a disconcerting. The Assembly immediately set about chosing a new Steward. I was nominated by one of those who had earlier approached me. There wasn't much opposition. I was elected Steward.
Really really weird, to achieve such an honoured position without saying a word or doing anything but say 'yes'. There must be something right with our system of government that allows one to achieve this without having to argue and stab one's way to the top.
Of course, staying there is another issue ...
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Map of the World
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Brief note re Clan Armies
Under direction of the Steward, the Royal Scottish Army engaged the Campbells in what turned out to be a skirmish at Dumfries. Sadly, the Forbes got in the way and took most of the damage, allowing the Campbells to scurry behind Dumfries town walls before the RSA could hit them again (oh, so brave, those Campbells). Faced with the probability that many innocents would die if the town was stormed, the RSA leadership pulled back and granted a yuletide truce. Of course, the noisier of the Campbells saw this as a sign of weakness, which makes one wonder about what they would have done in the same position...
For awhile, the Campbells were shouting out about MacTavish, Wallace and Fraser - somehow believeing that we were the main force behind the RSA. Ha. I disabused them of that notion as well I could, but took note that they are looking for scapegoats for their own foolish behaviours.
For now, we aren't up to forming a clan army on our own. We are getting closer. Wallace, at least, is in a similar boat to us.
Not all Campbells are part of these troubles, by the way. I feel for those that don't agree with what their egomaniac leadership is doing.
At time of writing a yuletide truce is in place. Come the new year, interesting times indeed....
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Response to Sajanzv's Accusations
Since Sajanzv has
chosen to make this issue a very public one, I will try to address as
much of it as I can for everyone's benefit. I also want to quote a
couple of applicable forum rules here for the public's information
and ask that we all abide by them:
Quote: |
3. A. Thou shalt not flame,harass, demean, |
Sajanzv wrote: |
I just want to inform the people of Glasgow |
What Sajan
neglected to mention is why this message has been staring at him. I
believe this one can be best responded to by the Goblin family, but I
can assure you that this response on Goblindad's part was not
unprovoked. Any decent husband would have risen to his wife's defense
as a result of the RL personal nature of Sajan's attacks upon
Goblinmami.
Sajanzv wrote: |
Next, I am tired of all the hypocrisy. Some of |
When Sajanzv
resigned from the RSA, he forfeited all rights to that organization's
private forums, onsite and offsite. Because we trusted him, it never
occurred to the offsite administrators to completely remove his
access right away. We were unaware that Sajan was still accessing the
information in that forum until he accessed personal, confidential
information pertaining to our soldiers and began an email campaign to
their private email addresses. Out of concern regarding the illegal
use of this information, a joint decision was made between the
general and the two band leaders who still had mod rights to that
forum. All personal data was cleared and deleted. All other
information was copied and removed from the site. No documents were
destroyed. Yesterday, I received an email sent by Sajan to my
personal email account, not IG. This email was sent to a usergroup
that did not define the addresses in the mail I received. This is a
copy of the mail sent to my soldiers:
Quote: |
Vandalism on the site |
Since there was
no way to know for certain which soldiers received this email, we
sent the following response to all Glasgow RSA members:
Quote: |
To Glasgow Regiment, |
Sajanzv wrote: |
Goblinmami then got Argorian to delete my |
Most of this has
been addressed already. Erin, although the creator of the site, was
no longer a member of the RSA by virtue of her IG death. Therefore,
she had no legal right as a member of the RSA to do any of the things
that Sajan requested of her. The guides are not lost. The intel
reports are not lost. Any material submitted to the RSA becomes the
property of the RSA, just as in RL.
Sajanzv wrote: |
I do not spend so much time on RK helping |
Sajanzv has in the
past been a tremendous help and mentor to new players. His wealth of
information and knowledge about the game has been invaluable to many
of us and we will be forever grateful to him for that. Nothing has
been destroyed. The forum still exists. There simply is no
information in it. Had he not abused his access privileges, we would
have never been forced to take action.
As to the rest of his
accusations, he is certainly entitled to his opinions. I personally
do not wish to fight with him or those who support him. I've had
enough of being wrongly accused and having my own name smeared and my
own reputation drug through the mud by the Duke. The only reason I am
responding at all to this post is to clarify the many questions being
addressed to me by my soldiers and my friends about the issues he has
raised. One question in particular has been asked and that is why is
he doing this, and why are the soldiers being drug into the middle of
what seems to be a personal issue. I'm not sure I can answer that, as
the general and other officers have tried to shield our soldiers from
the worst of his attacks. I apologize to any and all of you who feel
that you have been used or abused by this process. It should have
ended long ago.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
View from the Chief's table
RK Scotland seems to have recovered from the forum earthquakes though you still hear the occasional whinge about it. There are still problems in the RSA organising access to appropriate subforums (mainly due to constant changes in the officer ranks rather than the forums per se) so the Regiments have their own offsite forums ticking over.
Speaking of the RSA, MacTavishes are the band leaders of the two largest bands in the three counties - Lanark and Whithorn (Bevin and Hebrin MacTavish, respectively). Rage was a General in Galloway during one of the recent emergencies, also a Captain I believe. I am still on High Command as a Councillor. Rage and Luci are level 3 army way, I believe Aelin is also but we don't hear much from him these days. We do need to keep gaining experience in the military as much as possible so that when we need to form a clan army (not if, but when) we know what we are doing. So keep eating that meat!
In the National Assembly there are lots of words being exchanged between rep's in the public chambers about reforming the institution. All the options I've seen would reduce the power of the clans so I'm not keen on any of them. We'll see how that evolves. In the Council of Clan Chiefs (of which I'm a member) the general feel is that the clans will agree to disagree with any of these regressive changes. If we all hold true to that, should be safe.
Our clan remains fairly stable on 58 living members. Without an influx of new blood, our age profile is aging. Many of us are now level 2, more and more of us are close to level 3. Our clan subforum keeps ticking over fairly regularly, most of us who are active on the forums visit their regularly.
All in all, things are going good for MacTavish. I think we will need to do something big as a clan in the next few months to pull us all together again though, unless the various possibilities for national chaos comes to fruition (eg clan war between macgregor and forbes in galloway, NA strips clan rights away, England border closure turns into active hostilities, rebel army forms).
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
There's No Place Like Home
Officially, I have told Bricksand that i will not be moving to Girvan, despite JO's standing down (he begged me for another chance) because I cannot and will not support someone who was AGAINST my family and friends - all the people I love.
Those of you who love to travel - Jah bless you. Watch for MY next adventures coming from a Whithorn weaver's shop or front porch near you...
Love,
LadyRobin
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Current events - outbreak of civil war?
Julius Campbell has kicked off what looks like becoming a civil war by making a grab for power in forums and ingame. To do this he has assumed that those who support the idea of a monarchy or a regency will go along with him. I think he is finding out that those of us who are royalists hate dictatorship as much as the best of the republicans. As a result, he is aligning with and recruiting outlaws and bandits into the army which he had the control of due his captaincy of the galloway regiment. No doubt, he is using his charm to bring in ignorant RSA members to fight for him, and those of his clan who would put their name above the good of the land.
Ragehammer has been made interim general for galloway regiment, which is the forum equivalent of the ingame captain (I guess). He is marshalling troops but things are a bit of a mess so he has his work cut out. The folk of dumfries and kirk will be on their own until the legitimate army under Rage can come to their rescue.
Just to make things interesting, there are intelligence reports of an english army lurking just south of the border.
In the Northern Counties, Ayr and Glasgow are rallying their armies. By the time they are strong enough to crush the rebels (and crush them they will) the first battles of dumfries and kirk will likely have occurred. I'm not sure about Clan Forbes, or whether their clan army is able to be of use in this situation or not.
So, you picked a nice time to look at the countryside Robin!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Scottish Style
Our clan numbers seem to have stabilised (60), albeit with a few of us having gone into retreat around the time of the recent forum changes. As our age profiles develop it might be an idea to again start scouting the young ones we meet to see if they might be MacTavish. Particularly to hear from her place of retreat that Ladyrobin indeed still watches over us.
MacTavishes fought in both RSA regiments in the recent Battle of Muirkirk. Various of us were individually successful on the battlefield. Of particular note, Gryphon MacTavish joined up just for the fight and then managed to get a fatal wound in on Tosher MacGregor, the rebel leader. Well done! Cheatley MacTavish was associated with some of the rebels before the battle, recently was the latest of a long line of successful rebels in Wigtown, Galloway. He isn't welcome in our hall anymore, and would be wise to avoid meeting up with certain of his cousins if swords are in play. I think we all agreed that even good families like ours have our black sheep. Hmmm.
Asbgas and Destrata, our newest Assembly representatives, are posting and voting. They're also giving us 'nutshell' guides to the issues being debated (freedom of information and clan armies, by the sounds of it). Thanks guys. I should also again here mention Lucifera who certainly kept the buggers honest during the closing stages of her assembly membership. Thanks heaps Luci.
Nationally, debates continue about the form of government. There are glimmers of common ground being found amongst the factions. But it seems to me that there are a lot of potential fracture lines. I truly hope that common sense prevails.
Here's to "Lots of quiet days in the renaissance! Scottish style!"
Raises glass
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Locating our Forum
We now access the forum through the game, and everyone's forum account is now linked to their game player account. New players will have an account automatically made for them. Us old characters must link our old accounts to the new system.
Click on 'forum' in bottom left of game screen. This will lead you to a screen with three major choices, beneath a 'box' which has to do with 'NPC's (Non Player Character).
To 'activate' your old forum account, click on the THIRD option. It will then ask you five simple questions to link your game character to your forum account. You should only have to do this once. Once you've activated your account you should be able to access forums.
If you click the FIRST option on the 'forum' screen from which you chose to activate your account you will be taken to a small forum board which contains those public forums to which you have access. In theory this will be Highlands Hall, your County Inn and your Town forums (plus FAQ and a few others). Please note, our forum is NOT under 'The Gathering of the Clans' in this forum.
If you click on the SECOND (French) option on the 'forum' screen from which you chose to activate account you will be taken to the much larger 'second' forum board, containing all the private subforums. You will only have access, of course, to some of these. Our clan forum is about half way down the (huge and chaotic) list of private forums. Still in the 'Kingdom of Scotland' section (about a dozen entries down).
NB among the various 'glitches' are the following:
- your avi has dissappeared, will be back later
- you will have to set up your 'profile' again for your account, adding back your banner/sig
- the 'second' forum is a strange blue colour, change it back if you want (through profile)
- the link between your character and your town isn't always correct if you are travelling. This is a big bug I think they will try and fix very quickly.
There are lots of things to complain about the new system. I'm not trying to stop you, but please be careful on the forums to complain if you must about the changes, rather than admin.
Friday, August 22, 2008
The dogs of war
Forbes army, not doing much except flexing muscle in Drummore area.
1st Galloway Regt, mustering and about to march.
Fury, recruiting in Ayr City before continuing to head South.
English army, stepping up provocative verbal threats at Captain of Galloway Regt.
Tosher army formed in Ardencaple. Gathered many thieves and rebels to its ranks. While it recruited the town was on alert and therefore lost a week's production. Glasgow Regt said it would deal with it. Galloway raised its Regiment in case Glasgow didn't. Ayr scrambled to raise its Regiment but a little hamstrung through lack of high level characters.
Tosher marched south, declaring it only wanted to get to England. English threaten scotland, saying this would be cause for war if we let Tosher through. Glasgow Regiment not formed and so Tosher gets his army out of Glasgow county. Rumours of deals being done behind this. Ayr military beg Galloway to come and help it. Ayr politicos threaten Galloway to stay out. Galloway continues to muster therefore. English start stepping up the threats.
In the Galloway Regiment at the moment the soldiers are pretty pissed that it looks like we will have to fight (and some of us will die) do defend england from invasion by scots. Those who have so far done nothing to stop Tosher's march threaten Galloway with anathema if we let Tosher through as they don't want a war with england. Ayr on high alert, Glasgow marshalling.
That's the present situation. If I had to I'd put money on it I'd say it will come down to Tosher either making a move on an Ayr town and us having to seige him out, or a battle on a node in Galloway as he makes a run for the border. Whether the english then invade will probably largely rely on how large our losses are in the fight to defend their property.
Confused? Aye. Do I sound cynical? Aye.
And all of this on top of instability in our national government (see post below).
Interesting times indeed.
Days of wine and ....
There are quite a few MacTavish signatures on the petition. The other obvious group which has signed en masse is composed of members of Tosher's rogue army (see post above this one). Highly ironic chuckles. It's interesting to also note that a lot who signed this petition also had their name on the petition which sacked the Regent in the days immediately preceding the first gathering of the Assembly.
The petition itself is on Highlands Hall thread, along with a discussion on it in a separate thread. There is another discussion on it in 'Holyrood House' forum, in the public area of the National Assembly subforum. I haven't signed it yet, not sure if I will. I don't wish to stop others making up their own minds, and certainly won't hold your decision against you if you do or don't sign.
The petition is the only constitutional means by which the people of Scotland can discipline an Assembly with which they are unhappy. And a lot of people have been unhappy with the Assembly of late....
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The grim reaper
Oh well.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Letter to Dewey - Mayor of Ardencaple
Greetings Dewey,
I don't know if you have yet heard from your fastness at the head of the Loch, but a bunch of MacTavishes are about to land in your town. At reset, should be half a dozen of us, with a friend who is with us by the name of Jurl. On the morrow I am expecting probably this many again to be arriving. We intend departing the day following that. I think Lucifera and Stri will be putting us up for the night.
I think most of us have brought our own food so shouldn't cause you too many problems there. Some of our younger kin will probably seek out some day labour. The older amongst us plan on a day of fishing so we can soak our tired feet in the waters.
On a personal note, I must say that I have long been looking forward to casting my line out from your shores. So much so that we have come here ahead of Stirling in our travels.
Cheers,
Chief Dracmuller MacTavish of Whithorn
Since I sent the letter, he has already replied and said we are welcome to buy and work as we chose, and to enjoy the hospitality of the town.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Travel Advice
I received the following from Whithorn Band about settings for 'move options' for leaders of mobs (on the travel screen)
"In these times of robbers frequently attacking, We should be setting to:
- Travel Always
- Fight Always
- I will not hesitate to kill my opponent. No longer :I Try To Spare My Opponent's Life
"The kill setting will boost the patrols FC and will not really kill anyone, unless they have already been in a fight and lost recently."
I've set to 'kill', assume you have too.
The thieves are in Girvan. If we can get a headstart on them to Ayr they shouldn't be bothering us. They think we are in Girvan for a few days more so if we meet them it's just bad luck.
We now have three groups with twelve people in them. Stoink might try and join a group at the last moment, otherwise he has said he'll travel on his own (I've mailed him about this bad habit he is developing). Jazstar is working and being picked up by Tuski soon. Malons will head back to wiggie some time soon.
We should be traveling for a few days now ... Ayr, Muirkirk, Lanark, Glasgow, Ardencaple. IF you let your mob know that you are hitting 'travel' each day, it's up them to hit 'follow the leader' or get left behind.
See you in Ayr.
Drac
Friday, June 27, 2008
Peacekeeping in Kirk
And while all that's happening outside, I'm aiding negotiations between the factions inside. Talk about a strange situation.
And to think it all started out as a regular monthly two day patrol to nearby Wigtown.


