The Phelansburg Plot

[Random_White_Guy]

So. I know it's a little unorthodox but as the "Phelansburg Plot" has come to a close I thought i'd share some of the details/etc around it.  As such I'd love to share some of the intrigues behind the scenes, shots of what transpired, and more since the major players involved of anything too spoiler have passed.

The House of Sunpurse has long held that the Cursed realm of the Ponds, and the Manor of Lord Desmond, sits as a large beacon of woe. For long it changed and traded hands among foes and similar. At the time the Brothers Winespill dominated the Peerage Ward and did battle with the terrifying forces of House Orza, lead by Kobus, Magnus, and other unsavory figures. The Manor was in the hands of a notorious assassin.

The peerage heavy of strife and conflict, difficult for a young level 5 man to grow his name. And the Ponds were primarily abandoned and far from a hotbed of activity.

So I thought I'd move out west and raise a ruckus, and so a plot went into motion of no small intrigue.

And so The Gauntlet of Lordship was born.

"Hello, Magnus. I am Elrichof the House of Sunpurse. I recognize that by rite of Conquest you hold this land but this Manor is the sacred grounds of the Family Sunpurse. I ask of you permission that I may attend to the grounds as Porter". Amidst confusion and reluctance I was granted access and able to have the fun RP of sweeping rugs, tending the bunks, cleaning the blood from the cobbles and more.

And in time a seed was planted, an opportunity for greatness to be seized.

[hide=Phelansburg's Origins on the Sunpurse Forum]The fact stands the Manor sits in woeful state of disrepair under Magnus' care.

What began as a discussion of me offering to see the grounds up kept that the cheateau pon the Ponds could be maintained I snuck in the possibility of his own rise in station. He has been labored, by his own claims, of being required to do too much drawing attention to his time.

I have offered and he accepted me as his Porter and upkeep the stones laid by the Sunpurse and will be quietly offering him counsel.

While he is lacking of both grace and decorum having the Man-Slayer interested in the Lady's favor a potent tool.

I shall play the role asked of me to tend the grounds, and in the interim secure more information and attempt to push him to seek more presence among the Ponds to combat the region into submission.

If he believes he may become a true Lord of the Peerage his ambitions may be fed and be inclined to aid overtures of the House.

Elrich Khaum[/hide]

As time went on, matters bore fruit.

"The Viper came to me on five occasions to get me to join the House of Velstra. I turned him down because he offered me nothing but demanded of me service"

"After I took up the Orzan colors I could tell though Errilam was unpleased. He knew though the price for slighting me in public so he has kept his lips sealed".

"He made attempt to form alliance between our Houses. The offer stands firm - to begin parlay and negotiate the specifics he is to deliver me the head of his brother Adrian"

"He has not done so, and I am sure he never will. He has also wanted you dead by my hands."

"I accepted the contract under one condition. That he'd bring me the head of Harlow. The man who had spoken against me publicly, and challenged me to a duel. He accepted but made no moves. I suspected he would not pay up so I waited to see if he would act himself, he did not, so I had to face Harlow in a duel".

"The Viper continues to question me, curious, as what was offered. What they offered that he could not. To us it is obvious, is it not? It was not Orza who offered me anything. It was his men. The Orzans I joined because they pledged to me loyalty, even beyond that of their Lord Grigori, but they have proven ill at keeping their lives intact."

"But it turns out they had trouble clinging to their lives. All of them gone. So here I sit, Warden of the Pond. I may as well name myself King of the Ponds. It would make no difference."

"For I would be the King of Nothing."

Before Agreement made

The Ponds were empty. I was, as Magnus was, "I may as well name myself King of the Ponds. It would make no difference. For I would be king of Nothing".

The solution then became clear. What if he wasn't the King of Nothing? What would be the best way to get the Ponds involved in the larger stage of EFU's politics, more people active in the region, and more undertakings pursued?

Simply put: Give them someone to hate. The Edict of Colonial Jurisprudence was born.

Given leave by Magnus to do whatever I wanted with the Ponds I laid the groundwork. As matters begun to grow into more heated intrigues, came the final conclusion: The Duello between Magnus and Errilam Winespill.

Errilam who had, equally, been seeking to court the raise of Ser Nicholas Velstra to wed the Lady Oreana Sunpurse. Increasing affairs and efforts brought us into closer proximity, to the point in which he grew INCENSED that we refused to take the Manor back from Magnus by force, instead kneeling to his demands and wishes and the audacity to raise a Hired Assassin as wed of our Lady.

He wished more, he wished to earn her favor and to broadly tie affairs with Ser Nicholas tighter. So he took up the Gauntlet of Lordship on behalf of his brother-in-law.

City Sending by Ser Errilam Winespill : I dedicate this victory over Magnus the manslayer to one of the most beautiful women in all of ring 99! I dedicate it to Lady Sunpurse! The manor is declared to be once again in the hands of house Sunpurse!

This, was not welcomed by everyone

Fear in the Ponds

Yet with NPCs thwarted and the region no longer threatening my removal there became a problem. The Ponds were still vacant.

So once more, the tried and true EFU trick.

I drew a map.

And people. were. confused. Why the hell would anyone want the Ponds, who gives a shit, there's nothing to be made there and no one even goes there.

Yet not everyone, the Reeve did not agree with that.

Yet Jharoum did not agree with that either.

And so the next entire month was dedicated to one singular goal: No questing, no ring running, no anything beyond establishing civilized presence and see some peace brought to the wild realm of the Ponds.

We would style it like the American Dream. A place where men and women who were pissed off with Ticker Square or fed up with the Peerage could find a "New Frontier" amidst the wyldelands and push their agendas and efforts in new ways and angles. PCs would be sought high and low from across every faction of the module to try and unify a greater presence, to spurn the Pondsmen into more actions and get more people invested in one way or another.

The Harvest Festival came and went, should the Ponds be supported in the pursuit of this "Subjugation"?

[url=https://i.imgur.com/LePSoNf.png]Or should they be thwarted as Ticker Square may be next?

What would follow would be the last gasped pushed.

The Harvest Festival, gave way to the march of the House of Glitt (Who everyone discounted as drunks and ineffective) to drive out the Alley Prince.

It culminated today in the violent and robust expulsion.

And at long last the Ponds had a seat of governance and PCs to lead. And at long last the Ponds had individuals fighting for the place and driving out oppressors. And hopefully it moves on to be something even cooler.

Shout out to Blue41 and Morphine and Bio for the constant emotional support and IC presence to help see things to fruition.

Shout out to Akke for letting me weasel into his mad ambitions.

And good luck Pondsfolk :)

This is not the end of my PC, but only the end of a very fun and character building chapter.

Miscellaneous Harvest Fest Screenshots

Oh, and just as an aside.

PCs always talk about how PvP is needed in conflict, and how the Peerage Ward is so PvP heavy.

Today was my first PvP on my PC since his creation.

Don't think EFU requires "Click Red Things" for fun stories told :)

[Loops]

Oh, and just as an aside.

PCs always talk about how PvP is needed in conflict, and how the Peerage Ward is so PvP heavy.

Today was my first PvP on my PC since his creation.

Don't think EFU requires "Click Red Things" for fun stories told :)

I agree. That's what I've been trying ever since I made Eryeth. It was fun to keep up to date on your plotting. Sorry I couldn't get more involved. I hope you have as much fun on your next scheme.

:)

[The Rat Queen]

I have nothing but the most respect for this goal and plot as a whole! It was a riot interacting with everyone involved as the Rat. Keep up the amazing work! Excited to see what's next!

[Scumlord Spiffy]

I really wish I was more involved in this in hindsight. Good job RwG.

[Nazey]

Thank you for bringing an interesting arc to an area of the server that really needed it!  Prime movers like Elrich keep the server exciting to log into.  I only wish I had a bigger part.

[Morphine]

Major props to RwG for this storyline. 

Phelansburg was a plot that I had the pleasure of becoming heavily involved with. I'm not sure I can capture all the scheming, human moments and plan executions as a result of this storyline and the contribution all of that made to the narrative of my character and many others, especially considering many of them are ongoing.

I thoroughly enjoyed the dangerous wild west vibe of our colonial stint, and I'm sure this saga along with its ripple effects will leave a mark on Pauper Ponds history for a long time to come.

[SovietGrowlithe]

Though my involvement was very minimal. I enjoyed hearing and watching it develop.

[Bio]

the only man i know who would make an obit for a plot.

it was fun, and I'm sorry i let you down boss