Now that everyone is done clutching their pearls at my question, let me rephrase.
What's the best way to open a line of communication oocly with a divine that hasn't responded to prayers? Is it considered rude to jump right to emails and ask them, "Hey, what's up? Are you super busy, is there something we've done or haven't done?"
Everiine said: The reason population is low isn't because there are too many orgs. It's because so many facets of the game are outright broken and protected by those who benefit from it being that way. An overabundance of gimmicks (including game-breaking ones), artifacts that destroy any concept of balance, blatant pay-to-win features, and an obsession with convenience that makes few things actually worthwhile all contribute to the game's sad decline.
Now that everyone is done clutching their pearls at my question, let me rephrase.
What's the best way to open a line of communication oocly with a divine that hasn't responded to prayers? Is it considered rude to jump right to emails and ask them, "Hey, what's up? Are you super busy, is there something we've done or haven't done?"
I would say that it's very unlikely that you are not receiving an answer because you have/have not done something. It is much more likely that one of two things has happened.
1) We've seen the message and then promptly forgotten about it, because we too are human. Especially with things like the phone app and email notifications, it's easy to look at them when you're not IG and then forget about them when you're back at your computer several hours later.
2) We're unable to answer at the moment, or are having trouble doing so. We have a lot of people in Havens who are involved in education, or have children, so this time of year is very busy for them. People might be on holiday, or have other reasons that you can't see for not responding to you. It could be that we really want to answer you, but are on a totally different timezone/schedule to you so are just struggling to find you.
In terms of what to do about this, it depends what your prayer was about. If you are just opening an invite for roleplay, just pray again periodically - not necessarily as an "I was hoping you could respond to..." but just about other things that have happened, a reminder that the invitation is there.
If your prayer is regarding a patron request or something related to that, I would go to other divine in your org - and if that's not an option, you can issue. None of us would want people to struggle with patron needs just because we're on holiday, and as long as you've given it a reasonable amount of time (I would say at least two weeks or so) then it's okay to do this.
Personally, I would not really encourage you to contact the divine through OOC means (email, forum messages, IG messages) - though I will note that we all have different stances on this. I myself am very unlikely to ever respond to OOC communication from players unless I have initiated it, but I do read those I am sent. Other people are totally happy to use them, and will be fine with you sending them a check-in message. So I would always advise erring on the side of caution and not using OOC communication unless you are absolutely, totally certain that the person doesn't mind.
Czixi said: So I would always advise erring on the side of caution and not using OOC communication unless you are absolutely, totally certain that the person doesn't mind.
How do you know if they're okay with it, without asking them OOCly in the first place? Sorry if that's a dumb question.
How do you know if they're okay with it, without asking them OOCly in the first place? Sorry if that's a dumb question.
That's a fair question, and a difficult one to answer. My advice is to err on the side of caution. Gods do accept OOC communication for OOC duties - a lot of patron stuff requires it. Generally, unless you're a CL or GL, they'll approach you.
The major exceptions to this are myself and Estarra, who often require dealing with OOC responsibilities, and you are free to message us if you have an OOC concern (though generally I recommend using ISSUE ME instead, but for smaller questions, I do try to keep an open ear). Others up here generally want to initiate it first, and as Czixi said, even if they read it, very often won't respond unless they have to. Everybody is different though.
It's a perfectly valid question - but the answer is that you don't know, unless we've made a statement about it on the forums, and that's exactly why I advise against doing it generally.
re: prayers from outside the org, always happy to see them, always read them but if they require any response on my part, the requests, unfortunately, go to the bottom of my to-do interactions list because of priorities: order, city, and only then outsiders.
Curious about another thing, if you could change one thing about your god or the org they're associated with, what would that be and why? (talking things like ideology, history, lore )
New Gods (maybe those who stepped up in the last year or so): is being a god what you expected? Which older-tenured god helped you the most?
Everiine said: The reason population is low isn't because there are too many orgs. It's because so many facets of the game are outright broken and protected by those who benefit from it being that way. An overabundance of gimmicks (including game-breaking ones), artifacts that destroy any concept of balance, blatant pay-to-win features, and an obsession with convenience that makes few things actually worthwhile all contribute to the game's sad decline.
How much work is it to implement a new design template? I've gotten the impression that it's much more than it is worth, but is it difficult or just a bunch of busywork? Or a coding thing that most admin can't actually do?
Any sufficiently advanced pun is indistinguishable from comedy.
Oh goody, a question for us! We even managed to actually log into the forums for you!
It's both difficult and not difficult, and it depends what we're adding. If we're adding a pattern to an existing ability (e.g. headpieces to accessories), then we can do that ourselves. If the new pattern is a new ability entirely (e.g. musicboxes when they were added many years ago), then it requires coding. Occasionally some other patterns that are not new abilities do too (e.g. adding tessen and nunchaku to scabbards/frogges). We're slowly wading out into the waters of coding, but generally at the moment we'd need help adding that sort of pattern.
New patterns also have to be passed through Estarra like most things we add to the game, so we have to justify the need for it. The 'need' can absolutely be that you all really want something, but it adds another hurdle into the mix. This is why you'll often see new patterns come as bundles when they do get added. We also consider at this point who's had what new patterns in the past years and who needs them more.
The actual adding of the pattern is not hugely difficult, but it does require knowing how to do it and the odd ways in which it can be tricksy and tedious. It also involves coming up with some starter designs for the pattern involved, as we can't just release you a pattern with absolutely no designs - people need those examples.
On top of that, we also then need to consider any new rules that our reviewers or you as trademasters need to be aware of. Quite often, new patterns are covered by existing rules for that skill. Sometimes however they come with their own considerations. Tattoos is a bit of an extreme example, but it's a good one. We will generally have to update the helpfiles both for trademasters and for the review panel every time we release a new pattern, even if it's only small tweaks.
In short, it's more work than you'd think, but not impossibly so. We're always talking amongst ourselves about new patterns we could add, and are trying to find ways that we can bring you new ones more regularly. A good way to help us with that is to become a mortal reviewer - the less time we have to spend managing the design queue, the more time we get to spend on other things.
Oh! Speaking of Charites! This is less an approval question I guess, and more a Charites' perception of the players' submission habits, but how often do you guys need to retroactively reject designs that mortal reviewers let through by mistake? And how often do you pull something that needs direct admin approval (other than for things tied directly to a god role)?
Sadly we can't give you precise statistics on how many things get held for divine approval, as we don't have them - just our own general idea of what the queue is like. We would say it's probably both more designs and fewer designs than you'd think. There are a lot of reasons designs can be held for divine review, from the use of divine symbols to people trying to make an Apple watch.
As for retroactive rejections, this does happen, but it's rare. Generally it happens for one of two reasons: someone has reported to us that a design shouldn't have been approved (often designers self-report these), or we have made a ruling which renders some existing designs against the rules.
Often when an error is reported to us we're able to simply fix it - when it's something like a spelling error, we'll just change it without needing to inform the designer. Sometimes it's a little more complex, and we'll often try to involve the designer then if we can. For example if an item is pluralising incorrectly this can mean rewriting the entire appearance, which we prefer people to be able to do themselves. However we will fix things ourselves if that's not possible.
When it's a ruling we've made, it can be much more complicated or much simpler. We will make a judgement as to whether we want the change to be retroactive or not. This will entirely depend on the ruling. Where possible, we'll let existing designs remain as they are - that would be the simpler option! But sometimes we have to enforce the ruling on everything, and at that point we will request modifications of, personally modify, or even simply delist designs in extreme situations.
New Gods (maybe those who stepped up in the last year or so): is being a god what you expected? Which older-tenured god helped you the most?
I'm not a new God, but I'll take a stab at answering the questions.
What I have noticed is that being a God is a lot more restrictive in the roleplay sense than expected looking from the mortal side. Players are dynamic agents in the world as it is designed. Gods and NPCs provide the lore and the backdrop, but players have the power to choose to interact with these elements, or not, and make change or not. If players show no interest in a God, for instance, there's less impetus for the God to continue his or her storyline: it would be just that, a neat story seen by no one. For example, recently players in game discovered a book in Maylea's temple that had been present and available to players for real life years (with lore that has been present for real life years, and yet not known widely except by a handful of players), and yet it is players' engagement in the content of that book that has brought the lore to relevance in game recently, to the delight of some.
As admin, we can only present the material and the areas and the tools, and it is the players that bring all of that alive through engagement. This is true also in guilds and organisations in terms of roleplay. We can possess NPCs and set a direction and provide guidance, but it's the players taking up that direction and guidance and players living the lore that makes the guilds and orgs alive. As admin, we cannot populate the cities, we cannot lead the communes - that agency is possessed by players (we were players once, and did not notice the loss until it was gone). We can only watch and hope that what is set forth is taken and flourishes, which I admit has its own joy (I made something, and people are using it!), but not the joy that comes from being the player living it.
As for which older-tenured god helped most, the original gods who helped me have long gone, so I will merely say this: that every admin I've worked with has taught me something new, including ephemerals, those present and those gone. It's a hard job, and it can quickly lead to burnout if not for the teamwork and camaraderie in the havens. I particularly appreciate @Estarra, who has been there from the beginning through thick and thin. Many of us, even including Anomalies, tire and burn out over time. Gods come and Gods go, flaring in blazes of glory and disappearing into the void, and yet somehow Estarra continues to have the energy continue on with the game and be excited about brainstorming and creating the next thing, and the next thing, month after month, year after year. That, I think, is something else.
New Gods (maybe those who stepped up in the last year or so): is being a god what you expected? Which older-tenured god helped you the most?
It's been a couple weeks, so here goes
I haven't run into anything especially unexpected so far. There's a lot to juggle, and there's definitely a switch when you release and become much more visible (literally), and suddenly need to balance doing things and being seen doing things, if that makes sense. It's also surprisingly challenging to catch mortals at a time when you're not busy and they're not busy.
I have to give a huge shout-out to @Czixi, @Maylea, @Isune and @Drocilla for all their encouragement, brainstorming assistance, proofreading, and inspirational pictures. And much love to the rest of the Celestian pantheon for their warm welcome.
Shamelessly bumping this thread incase any of you have questions you'd like to ask us - especially as there are new faces to answer them!
This!!
Also, newish divine, feel free to scroll through the thread and pick questions to answer!
Everiine said: The reason population is low isn't because there are too many orgs. It's because so many facets of the game are outright broken and protected by those who benefit from it being that way. An overabundance of gimmicks (including game-breaking ones), artifacts that destroy any concept of balance, blatant pay-to-win features, and an obsession with convenience that makes few things actually worthwhile all contribute to the game's sad decline.
@AllGods What are your favourite stories or pieces of lore? And how much input do you guys have in creating the lore, both on a macro level with the History of the Elder Wars etc and on a smaller scale, such as for each newly released area?
There's so many, but I especially like the stories and lore that make you think about the scope of Lusternia, and the sheer amount of heart wrenching loss experienced over the previous millennia. A lot of the bardic pockets are great at this.
If you had to pick another org to be a Divine for, which org would you pick and which would you want to avoid? Last one can be ignored for comfort.
Personally my lore knowledge is weakest in the Old Celest era (except where it relates to Hallifax), so I would probably avoid Celest and by extension Magnagora. Their history is so deep that I would be perpetually terrified of getting it wrong! Whenever I have to do anything in that era I always have to get Drocilla and Carakhan to fact check me.
As for where else I'd go, I've always been really into the history of espionage in Gaudiguch, which would be awesome to go and lean into - along with the more spiritualistic side. It's such an interesting contrast.
If you had to pick another org to be a Divine for, which org would you pick and which would you want to avoid? Last one can be ignored for comfort.
I, on the other hand, would probably avoid Hallifax. I absolutely adore its rich roleplay potential and lore but my knowledge is weakest in that area and Hallifax has so many unique ways of doing things that I would be terrified of getting it wrong. Same goes for either commune, I do not feel I am confident in their lore enough to do commune roles justice.
That leaves both Celest and Gaudigich as options and I would certainly have fun in either. My love for the HCE era is only eclipsed by my obsession with Magnagoran lore.
If you had to pick another org to be a Divine for, which org would you pick and which would you want to avoid? Last one can be ignored for comfort.
To pick? Either Serenwilde or Glomdoring. Communes and their classes are actually what initially caught my interest, and got me to play Lusternia forever ago! Both have their appeal. I like the Last True Forest angle of Serenwilde, and the Wyrd and everything built up around it in Glomdoring is awesome as well.
To avoid? Probably Magnagora. I'm not as familiar with its history, and I'm not sure if I could pull off a Traitor role nearly as well as any of the past or present Mag divine.
What is your favorite mythical creature, and how would you put your own Lusternian spin on it?
That's a really tough question for me because we've recreated so many mythical creatures in Lusternia, both as steeds and wild creatures, that it's hard to picture them as anything but exactly what they already are. Take the ouroboros, which simply must be Morgfyre's hoop snake, or the wyvern, which immediately makes me think of Zoaka and the lovely Fire Spinners lore.
So I've tried to think of something interesting that we don't have yet - the Slavic rusalkas. Associated with water and often believed to be malicious, they are female entities that have died in the very waterways they haunt (either on accident, intentionally, or murdered). They lure men to their deaths with their charms and glamours.
I could see them being water-related fae, much like naiad or nymphs, but corrupted by Manteekan. Spiteful and malicious, they could try to lure people into the depths of their haunts and drown them. Alternatively, it would be interesting had there been Priestesses of Mother Night who had either been away from the commune when it was tainted and thus not sharing the viewpoint of those who were caught within, or had been tainted but had a vastly different view on how to proceed (much like the tainted Shallamurine). Ultimately they could have been outnumbered and forced to flee but their boat on Gloriana would end up caught and the priestesses dragged to shore. There they would have been drowned at Rowena's order, the very means of their freedom turned the implement of their torture. Thereafter they would haunt the banks of Gloriana at the outskirts of Glomdoring, drowning any adventurers that are unlucky to happen upon them. For wicked fun, for sheer bloodlust, or perhaps to misguidedly protect them -from- Glomdoring itself, ironically ending up protecting Glomdoring from outsiders and ensuring its isolated status instead.
If you had to classify your character's D&D Alignment, what would it be and why?
Everiine said: The reason population is low isn't because there are too many orgs. It's because so many facets of the game are outright broken and protected by those who benefit from it being that way. An overabundance of gimmicks (including game-breaking ones), artifacts that destroy any concept of balance, blatant pay-to-win features, and an obsession with convenience that makes few things actually worthwhile all contribute to the game's sad decline.
100% Chaotic Neutral, though I think during part of the Elder Wars the GM was probably telling Czixi she was getting closer to evil than neutral.
It's that willingness to do whatever is necessary, combined with a side of unpredictability and a not-very-hidden delight in messing with people. The only other alignment I would remotely consider for her is LN, but Czixi is ultimately too much of a hypocrite to be truly lawful.
What is your favorite mythical creature, and how would you put your own Lusternian spin on it?
That's a really tough question for me because we've recreated so many mythical creatures in Lusternia, both as steeds and wild creatures, that it's hard to picture them as anything but exactly what they already are. Take the ouroboros, which simply must be Morgfyre's hoop snake, or the wyvern, which immediately makes me think of Zoaka and the lovely Fire Spinners lore.
So I've tried to think of something interesting that we don't have yet - the Slavic rusalkas. Associated with water and often believed to be malicious, they are female entities that have died in the very waterways they haunt (either on accident, intentionally, or murdered). They lure men to their deaths with their charms and glamours.
I could see them being water-related fae, much like naiad or nymphs, but corrupted by Manteekan. Spiteful and malicious, they could try to lure people into the depths of their haunts and drown them. Alternatively, it would be interesting had there been Priestesses of Mother Night who had either been away from the commune when it was tainted and thus not sharing the viewpoint of those who were caught within, or had been tainted but had a vastly different view on how to proceed (much like the tainted Shallamurine). Ultimately they could have been outnumbered and forced to flee but their boat on Gloriana would end up caught and the priestesses dragged to shore. There they would have been drowned at Rowena's order, the very means of their freedom turned the implement of their torture. Thereafter they would haunt the banks of Gloriana at the outskirts of Glomdoring, drowning any adventurers that are unlucky to happen upon them. For wicked fun, for sheer bloodlust, or perhaps to misguidedly protect them -from- Glomdoring itself, ironically ending up protecting Glomdoring from outsiders and ensuring its isolated status instead.
If you had to classify your character's D&D Alignment, what would it be and why?
I am positive Drocilla thinks of herself as Chaotic Good - she has a mission to [REDACTED] and that mission is for the good of everyone after all! She may have to do terrible things but it's the system and the people who are wrong so she has to [REDACTED] against their will. She firmly believes in her delusions. More truthfully she's probably Lawful Evil, with very rare glimpses of Neutral Evil but only should something or someone get in the way of the Masterplan. She does feel regret and guilt over the things she "must" do, but being she is the only one who can [REDACTED], she is prepared to suffer for the greater good. Her Dread Enchantress incarnation is most definitely Chaotic Evil (ie. see what she did to Tremula).
Comments
What's the best way to open a line of communication oocly with a divine that hasn't responded to prayers? Is it considered rude to jump right to emails and ask them, "Hey, what's up? Are you super busy, is there something we've done or haven't done?"
1) We've seen the message and then promptly forgotten about it, because we too are human. Especially with things like the phone app and email notifications, it's easy to look at them when you're not IG and then forget about them when you're back at your computer several hours later.
2) We're unable to answer at the moment, or are having trouble doing so. We have a lot of people in Havens who are involved in education, or have children, so this time of year is very busy for them. People might be on holiday, or have other reasons that you can't see for not responding to you. It could be that we really want to answer you, but are on a totally different timezone/schedule to you so are just struggling to find you.
In terms of what to do about this, it depends what your prayer was about. If you are just opening an invite for roleplay, just pray again periodically - not necessarily as an "I was hoping you could respond to..." but just about other things that have happened, a reminder that the invitation is there.
If your prayer is regarding a patron request or something related to that, I would go to other divine in your org - and if that's not an option, you can issue. None of us would want people to struggle with patron needs just because we're on holiday, and as long as you've given it a reasonable amount of time (I would say at least two weeks or so) then it's okay to do this.
Personally, I would not really encourage you to contact the divine through OOC means (email, forum messages, IG messages) - though I will note that we all have different stances on this. I myself am very unlikely to ever respond to OOC communication from players unless I have initiated it, but I do read those I am sent. Other people are totally happy to use them, and will be fine with you sending them a check-in message. So I would always advise erring on the side of caution and not using OOC communication unless you are absolutely, totally certain that the person doesn't mind.
That is all.
That's a fair question, and a difficult one to answer. My advice is to err on the side of caution. Gods do accept OOC communication for OOC duties - a lot of patron stuff requires it. Generally, unless you're a CL or GL, they'll approach you.
The major exceptions to this are myself and Estarra, who often require dealing with OOC responsibilities, and you are free to message us if you have an OOC concern (though generally I recommend using ISSUE ME instead, but for smaller questions, I do try to keep an open ear). Others up here generally want to initiate it first, and as Czixi said, even if they read it, very often won't respond unless they have to. Everybody is different though.
Curious about another thing, if you could change one thing about your god or the org they're associated with, what would that be and why? (talking things like ideology, history, lore )
It's both difficult and not difficult, and it depends what we're adding. If we're adding a pattern to an existing ability (e.g. headpieces to accessories), then we can do that ourselves. If the new pattern is a new ability entirely (e.g. musicboxes when they were added many years ago), then it requires coding. Occasionally some other patterns that are not new abilities do too (e.g. adding tessen and nunchaku to scabbards/frogges). We're slowly wading out into the waters of coding, but generally at the moment we'd need help adding that sort of pattern.
New patterns also have to be passed through Estarra like most things we add to the game, so we have to justify the need for it. The 'need' can absolutely be that you all really want something, but it adds another hurdle into the mix. This is why you'll often see new patterns come as bundles when they do get added. We also consider at this point who's had what new patterns in the past years and who needs them more.
The actual adding of the pattern is not hugely difficult, but it does require knowing how to do it and the odd ways in which it can be tricksy and tedious. It also involves coming up with some starter designs for the pattern involved, as we can't just release you a pattern with absolutely no designs - people need those examples.
On top of that, we also then need to consider any new rules that our reviewers or you as trademasters need to be aware of. Quite often, new patterns are covered by existing rules for that skill. Sometimes however they come with their own considerations. Tattoos is a bit of an extreme example, but it's a good one. We will generally have to update the helpfiles both for trademasters and for the review panel every time we release a new pattern, even if it's only small tweaks.
In short, it's more work than you'd think, but not impossibly so. We're always talking amongst ourselves about new patterns we could add, and are trying to find ways that we can bring you new ones more regularly. A good way to help us with that is to become a mortal reviewer - the less time we have to spend managing the design queue, the more time we get to spend on other things.
As for retroactive rejections, this does happen, but it's rare. Generally it happens for one of two reasons: someone has reported to us that a design shouldn't have been approved (often designers self-report these), or we have made a ruling which renders some existing designs against the rules.
Often when an error is reported to us we're able to simply fix it - when it's something like a spelling error, we'll just change it without needing to inform the designer. Sometimes it's a little more complex, and we'll often try to involve the designer then if we can. For example if an item is pluralising incorrectly this can mean rewriting the entire appearance, which we prefer people to be able to do themselves. However we will fix things ourselves if that's not possible.
When it's a ruling we've made, it can be much more complicated or much simpler. We will make a judgement as to whether we want the change to be retroactive or not. This will entirely depend on the ruling. Where possible, we'll let existing designs remain as they are - that would be the simpler option! But sometimes we have to enforce the ruling on everything, and at that point we will request modifications of, personally modify, or even simply delist designs in extreme situations.
What I have noticed is that being a God is a lot more restrictive in the roleplay sense than expected looking from the mortal side. Players are dynamic agents in the world as it is designed. Gods and NPCs provide the lore and the backdrop, but players have the power to choose to interact with these elements, or not, and make change or not. If players show no interest in a God, for instance, there's less impetus for the God to continue his or her storyline: it would be just that, a neat story seen by no one. For example, recently players in game discovered a book in Maylea's temple that had been present and available to players for real life years (with lore that has been present for real life years, and yet not known widely except by a handful of players), and yet it is players' engagement in the content of that book that has brought the lore to relevance in game recently, to the delight of some.
As admin, we can only present the material and the areas and the tools, and it is the players that bring all of that alive through engagement. This is true also in guilds and organisations in terms of roleplay. We can possess NPCs and set a direction and provide guidance, but it's the players taking up that direction and guidance and players living the lore that makes the guilds and orgs alive. As admin, we cannot populate the cities, we cannot lead the communes - that agency is possessed by players (we were players once, and did not notice the loss until it was gone). We can only watch and hope that what is set forth is taken and flourishes, which I admit has its own joy (I made something, and people are using it!), but not the joy that comes from being the player living it.
As for which older-tenured god helped most, the original gods who helped me have long gone, so I will merely say this: that every admin I've worked with has taught me something new, including ephemerals, those present and those gone. It's a hard job, and it can quickly lead to burnout if not for the teamwork and camaraderie in the havens. I particularly appreciate @Estarra, who has been there from the beginning through thick and thin. Many of us, even including Anomalies, tire and burn out over time. Gods come and Gods go, flaring in blazes of glory and disappearing into the void, and yet somehow Estarra continues to have the energy continue on with the game and be excited about brainstorming and creating the next thing, and the next thing, month after month, year after year. That, I think, is something else.
Also, newish divine, feel free to scroll through the thread and pick questions to answer!
There's so many, but I especially like the stories and lore that make you think about the scope of Lusternia, and the sheer amount of heart wrenching loss experienced over the previous millennia. A lot of the bardic pockets are great at this.
If you had to pick another org to be a Divine for, which org would you pick and which would you want to avoid? Last one can be ignored for comfort.
As for where else I'd go, I've always been really into the history of espionage in Gaudiguch, which would be awesome to go and lean into - along with the more spiritualistic side. It's such an interesting contrast.
That leaves both Celest and Gaudigich as options and I would certainly have fun in either. My love for the HCE era is only eclipsed by my obsession with Magnagoran lore.
To avoid? Probably Magnagora. I'm not as familiar with its history, and I'm not sure if I could pull off a Traitor role nearly as well as any of the past or present Mag divine.
What is your favorite mythical creature, and how would you put your own Lusternian spin on it?
So I've tried to think of something interesting that we don't have yet - the Slavic rusalkas. Associated with water and often believed to be malicious, they are female entities that have died in the very waterways they haunt (either on accident, intentionally, or murdered). They lure men to their deaths with their charms and glamours.
I could see them being water-related fae, much like naiad or nymphs, but corrupted by Manteekan. Spiteful and malicious, they could try to lure people into the depths of their haunts and drown them. Alternatively, it would be interesting had there been Priestesses of Mother Night who had either been away from the commune when it was tainted and thus not sharing the viewpoint of those who were caught within, or had been tainted but had a vastly different view on how to proceed (much like the tainted Shallamurine). Ultimately they could have been outnumbered and forced to flee but their boat on Gloriana would end up caught and the priestesses dragged to shore. There they would have been drowned at Rowena's order, the very means of their freedom turned the implement of their torture. Thereafter they would haunt the banks of Gloriana at the outskirts of Glomdoring, drowning any adventurers that are unlucky to happen upon them. For wicked fun, for sheer bloodlust, or perhaps to misguidedly protect them -from- Glomdoring itself, ironically ending up protecting Glomdoring from outsiders and ensuring its isolated status instead.
It's that willingness to do whatever is necessary, combined with a side of unpredictability and a not-very-hidden delight in messing with people. The only other alignment I would remotely consider for her is LN, but Czixi is ultimately too much of a hypocrite to be truly lawful.
I am positive Drocilla thinks of herself as Chaotic Good - she has a mission to [REDACTED] and that mission is for the good of everyone after all! She may have to do terrible things but it's the system and the people who are wrong so she has to [REDACTED] against their will. She firmly believes in her delusions. More truthfully she's probably Lawful Evil, with very rare glimpses of Neutral Evil but only should something or someone get in the way of the Masterplan. She does feel regret and guilt over the things she "must" do, but being she is the only one who can [REDACTED], she is prepared to suffer for the greater good. Her Dread Enchantress incarnation is most definitely Chaotic Evil (ie. see what she did to Tremula).