A Short Treatise on the Early History of Illyriad

Various Crowfed rooks approached H? with concerns regarding NC's behavior, while asking for help in mediation. Unfortunately our requests were not taken seriously and there was no mediation.

We approached H? again expressing strong reservations about NC's actions. Sadly we were turned down yet again, and this became the turning point for vCrow/uCrow as we saw that H? had turned their backs on us in refusing to acknowledge our concerns, and did nothing to help ease the rising tensions. A major war was inevitable...

• August 2013 to October 2013 - H? directors go on GC and state repeatedly that large confederations are quote "smothering the game". We had seen this kind of talk before in the weeks leading up to the Trove War, and given our recent experience with H? it only deepened our concern about an inevitable war.
• October 2013 - The great war begins.

It seems to me that H? followed their policy here. They saw no reason to interfere, so they kept out of it. This policy has been preached by many to have been broken consistently. The H? Police, as many of you say. Yet here you stand marketing that H? did not wish to police another alliance? Even entering into third party negotiations would have meant that H? would have had a hand in the conflict. I'm sure if they had someone would be accusing them of having their harmless snoot (see what I did there?) in business where it doesn't belong. It's hard to have a fun party when the said participants are set against having fun. Meaning, H? will never be the good guy because many players have been brought up to dislike them.

When I first joined Illyriad (back in 2011), I was under the impression that all games were like Stronghold Kingdoms. I had finally had enough of playing it. In Stronghold Kingdoms, there was several worlds and on each world there was always one dominant house that controlled the server. On World 2, my parish was destroyed simply because we were an easy parish to take in a largely fortified Yorkshire. When I joined Illyriad, I immediately began reading the forum. I was interested in the history of Illyriad and the world that it was outside of what I had heard from the Dwarf Fortress forums. I took a disliking to H? because they appeared, from reading the forum posts at the time, to be the same as House 2 in World 2 of Stronghold Kingdoms. They were repressive (think Monty Python and the Holy Grail) and had the most power. That opinion changed after I read more into the annals of Illyriad's history and talked to many players. I think a great many new players were also influenced by the anti-Harmless? rhetoric going on at the time and have since grown comfortable with the knowledge. Not daring to challenge the status quo.

Make note, I do not believe that H? is perfect or blameless? (see what I did there?). I do, however, fear change. I've been comfortable with H? in "rule" and would really not like to see them go. I think, that if the... (whatever you call the forces against H?) ... were to offer peace without any conditions then all would be well. But rarely in war is the winner going to offer fair terms.

And lastly, Praise be to Armok!

[Many many's were used in the creation of this post.]