I’ve had a Guilded Server for quite some time. Until recently, I’ve barely attended it. There was a server I was on that, until recently, felt like home but today, I left it.
I had to face facts, it had taken a hard turn. I didn’t like it and the people that it welcomed were no longer me. When those people caused me trouble, it felt like I was expected to keep taking it and not push back. A stern warning that I wasn’t going to do it would then cause me to get a warning as well.
At that point, it was time to go.
Let’s be clear, it’s nothing that I’m going to lose any sleep over. I’ve been fairly transient on the internet since 1997. Having a home on the web and then losing it, it’s nothing new to me.
I also have other homes. I have The Horde Wars server, Tribe of The Greyhorn Pagans on Telegram, I even have the Solitary Coventry server as well. I don’t do Discord anymore but today, after giving it long and careful consideration. I looked at The Asylum Theatre and noticed it has eight members already and I’ve done absolute fuck all for it.
It also occurred to me that the reason that my entire existence on the internet was so transient was because I never truly set up something of my own. Okay, well I did once and it was stolen from me. I’d literally been ousted from something I started and held. Vindictive and petty ex-wife…it’s a long and stupid story. Anyway, trying to start something myself seemed like it wasn’t something I could or wanted to do but, at work, while I spent my day working like mad, I asked myself a question. Did I want to continue being an internet transient or did I want something more stable?
The choice, for me, was clear. I had already started something. I’d spent so much time in the other server I once looked forward to going into that now, I didn’t have that anymore. Rather than wondering “What do I do now?” why not put some more effort into the one thing I’d started and just never once actually did anything with?
I went into The Asylum Theatre and completely revamped it. I ripped out walls, installed new ones and did an entire host of remodeling. Now, that server, Raven’s Asylum Theatre is ready to go. It’s going to start out small. With only 8 people and several tables at which to game, places to discuss general stuff, your favorite TTPRGs, should be a pretty fun place.
There’s one added bonus. I’m also providing a place where you can get your tarot, rune and oracle readings. For those into divination, we have rooms for Tarot, Oracles and even Astrology. Something I’m still trying to find time to properly study.
There is one thing I’m asking, though. It’s a politics-free zone.
I know how that sounds coming from me but this should be a place where we come together and there will already be edition wars, system wars or even genre wars but I am asking anyone willing to join to leave all of that at home and don’t bring it into the server. The reason I’m asking that is because I’ve always thought that games should bring us together. Look at The Blackmoor Bunch in the film Secrets of Blackmoor. Seriously, if you haven’t seen this movie yet, you should. It’s absolutely amazing. They’re all the guys that hung out with Dave Arneson, helped him playtest and create the original Dungeons & Dragons and they all have different styles, attitudes, professions, etc. If they can get along, so can we as, what I like to call “Asylum Seekers.”
The Asylum Theatre should be a place where you take a mental vacation for awhile. You step back from real life, regroup and come back in better than before, the same way our games should be. The only opposition and dispute should be conducted by rolls of dice and refereeing of rules by the Game Master.
That being said, I do invite you all to come in, introduce yourselves and maybe gather up a table and run a game or join in one.
My one rule is don’t be a dick. That’s one I’ll enforce because I won’t tolerate nonsense. Listen, it’s really simple. Treat others how you want to be treated yourself. Your time and mine is valuable. We’ll never get back the time we spent so the question is, how do you want to spend it? Do you want to spend it having fun or do you want to spend it fighting and being miserable?
In all likelihood, I won’t be posting my political posts there. Some posts that don’t contain politics, such as my reviews will probably be posted there. That being said, yes, there will be free speech in there. If you decide that you want to run your homebrew setting, then when you conduct that table, it will be conducted by your rules. Your Table, Your Time, Your Rules, that’s always going to be a thing there.
I know how you feel. Sometimes I get that way about my channel, but I think it's something that needs to press on, and so should you. Glad to hear that's the case!
Sounds like a good time.