– Originally posted July 8th 2009 at http://community.livejournal.com/wealdendun/ –
To All My Loyal (and vanished) Members:
Wealdendun, as a role-playing site, will be shutting down. I will be leaving a few areas open for RP for those who linger and just need the release from reality that Wealdendun has always given. But as for the main plots, I will no longer be putting forth the effort at this RP site. My effort will focus on building what I created this site to build in the first place – material and spark ideas for novels I am writing. My focus will be there now. For more information, please see below where I have copied my most recent GSY post. Here’s to my future writings and hopefully having a book in your nearest bookstore in the next few years.
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Wealdendun has become more of a burden than a joy of late. And actually by “of late” I mean over the last 365 days or longer. Many of you have been around when I have had to send out my monthly “please return to us” emails, urging members to rejoin the current plots. I went so far as to make a monthly newsletter, summarizing events, foreshadowing new ones, asking for help, and adding odd tid-bits – all to keep everyone interested. I created a new area that did not require any time-line events (the Fallen Warriors Tournament) in hopes to grab new and old members into fun RPs that did not require the length of posts or the cohesive not-in-many-places-at-once forum rule. I created Member of the Month awards, hoping to motivate others to be the best forum member possible. In all attempts my effforts have failed.
It is so very frustrating to have to pull at hair and teeth to keep this site alive. It becomes, quite literally, a burden and zaps all of my creative energy. When I only have so much time, being a college student or a full-time employee, and with most of my time devoted to Admin duties, it leaves very little for me to actually write. I have Moderators to help me, but they have lives as well – I understand this fully and do not blame you, who I love. But as a collective, we must be honest with each other – when we aren’t around the site gathers dust.
In the beginning, Zal/Zhoan and I quite literally ran everything. To keep members interested, we introduced minor characters hoping to spur creativity, keep people interested, motivate them to continue to return. Plus, with Wealdendun as complex as it is, when a new Bard joins, Natulcien can’t always be there to RP – when there are no bards, that poor new member needs a place to RP. But our ideas failed – in the sense that the new members weren’t able to go off on their own as we had planned. In fact, they depended on our posts, using our creativity as the corner stone for the RPs. Then what happened? It would have been nice to say that the RPs continued beautifully, but more often than not they fizzled out and died without conclusion. I am speaking of the earlier days, when Zal/Zhoan was a super active member. We, in the end, quite literally RPed with ourselves. More to be revealed in a moment.
Lately, I tried to join a few RPs with my alternate characters, but in a manner to spark interest rather than control. But again, I wound up leading the RP – with all RPs depending on me, can you image the amount of effort, time, and stress this involves? I can, without a doubt, say that in the past 9 months no more than three threads did not depend on me. I am sorry I let you down. But I tried to fizzle some out – but people need other people to RP with! And it is sad to see a new faery all alone, or a new dragon with no one to chase.
In the beginning was Natulcien. Shortly after I realized I needed to add another character that has some influence in the world. So came Morgensweg – Morgensweg is me. I had only planned on having those two characters, creating a sub one here and there for fun. But supply and demand – we ran out of members to RP with the new ones and I jumped in (the ever-helpful writer and admin). Zal/Zhoan did as well. Some of my characters evolved into more-complex and stepped into higher roles than perhaps I should have let them. But I was urged by fellow Rpers in many instances, and I could not back away from the ideas that flowed.
I will now list nearly every character that is controlled by me. My apologies if I ever deceived you, and specifically for letting down the Tir Rathon thread of Revolts and Revolutions. Some of these characters were odd for me to play, but it helped me write from different perspectives – please understand I never meant any ill.
Natulcien IS: Morgensweg Formihtig
Natulcien IS: Deirdré Niht
Natulcien IS: Maléfactora
Natulcien IS: Liegesa
Natulcien IS: Nihtleoð
Natulcien IS: Adrielle
Natulcien IS: Gwendolyn Rathon
Natulcien IS: Mulrennan Polgarie
Natulcien IS: Talias Voyle
Natulcien IS: Willind Tulgate
Natulcien took control of: Terevas
Natulcien IS: Ministra Kah’kel Dregan
Natulcien IS: Waverly Foremihtig
Natulcien IS: Dark Army
Natulcien IS: Sina Garland
And Natulcien is retiring from Wealdendun. There comes a time when things must be put to rest, especially if they cause more pain than joy. Know this – Wealdendun will never die. As I shut down the site, I will open a creative path to FINALLY finish all the books I have been working on. You must keep watch on the shelves of the bookstores, for one day a Wealdendun novel will be there, maybe even three or four.
I thank you for participating, especially the long-term members. I have so many great memories of the awesome time I have spent here. I love the people and the stories – and thank you for letting me spin them with you and share all of the different creative ideas I had swirling around.
It makes me very, very sad to have it come to this. But I can’t do it any more. Zal/Zhoan realized this a whole year before me. And life moves on. I have so many things I want to do with these characters for a REAL REAL book. The motivation for RPing is no longer with me – at least for now. And as I look for more employment and events of the near future, I need less stress and more time to do the things that truly bring me joy. And I must say goodbye to the place that has been my home since 2003. I will stay in touch with all of my Wealdendun friends, certainly, and keep you posted on progress on the novels, etc.
Forðgewel, min freondes, ediri eow som nnMeotod olan.
Faretheewell, my friends, I bless you in Meotod’s name.
