God Blogs

Zvoltz

As some of you know, the Lusternia website hosts a blog called "Haven's Hideout" where the admin write about the game.

I've added a new entry about our newest skill, aerochemantics! I'm always happy to see comments on the blog and I'll do my best to answer any questions left in the comments: http://www.lusternia.com/engineering-a-skill

Morshoth

'Engineering' a skill... ahaha, you so punny, @Zvoltz

Zvoltz

@Mysrai posted a gritty expose of the secret life of gods.

Check it out and leave her comments: http://www.lusternia.com/out-of-the-box-gods-at-play

Karlach

It's great to read stuff like that, see the humanity behind the Divines. I think at times people forget in all the raging and angst that they're just people like the rest of us. So thank you for doing this Mysrai!

One thing I will point out though is at one point you swapped from describing people by their RL gender to their Divine's gender, made me stop and double check something to make sure I hadn't been on a massive misunderstanding for the last year.

Mysrai

Oops! It does get difficult - some gods are okay with it, some aren't. I tend to err on the side of whatever I've had expressed to me as being the most comfortable gender in their online role.

Xenthos

Morkarion said:

It's great to read stuff like that, see the humanity behind the Divines. I think at times people forget in all the raging and angst that they're just people like the rest of us. So thank you for doing this Mysrai!

One thing I will point out though is at one point you swapped from describing people by their RL gender to their Divine's gender, made me stop and double check something to make sure I hadn't been on a massive misunderstanding for the last year.

I just tend to refer to Divine by their characters' gender unless explicitly stated otherwise, which is why you'll always hear me using "her" for Estarra.  I remember way back when Lusternia was new and Estarra really, really wanted to push that on the playerbase (I'm not entirely sure which of the many plausible reasons were for that emphasis, but it's stuck with me as a habit ever since).  I don't think she's stated it any time recently though, so that may be the source of your confusion.

And, well, clearly Mysrai used the same choice in the article for Estarra, so I imagine the habit is well-ingrained for her as well.  Oh, habits.

Kagato

It's always great to get a look at the personalities of some of the divine, finding out a little more about the people behind the keyboards that keep things running and stop the players from getting into TOO much mischief

Xenthos

Kagato said:

It's always great to get a look at the personalities of some of the divine, finding out a little more about the people behind the keyboards that keep things running and stop the players from getting into TOO much mischief

I thought they encouraged mischief...

Or maybe that's just what I console myself with whenever I file a new bug report.

Kagato

Some do, others would probably rather drop a 16 ton anvil on our heads.

Others just plot and twirl their little black mustaches evilly >_>

Lavinya

I'm sure I'm not the only one curious about the former Morgfyre's ass now...

Eventru

Xenthos said:

Morkarion said:

It's great to read stuff like that, see the humanity behind the Divines. I think at times people forget in all the raging and angst that they're just people like the rest of us. So thank you for doing this Mysrai!

One thing I will point out though is at one point you swapped from describing people by their RL gender to their Divine's gender, made me stop and double check something to make sure I hadn't been on a massive misunderstanding for the last year.

I just tend to refer to Divine by their characters' gender unless explicitly stated otherwise, which is why you'll always hear me using "her" for Estarra.  I remember way back when Lusternia was new and Estarra really, really wanted to push that on the playerbase (I'm not entirely sure which of the many plausible reasons were for that emphasis, but it's stuck with me as a habit ever since).  I don't think she's stated it any time recently though, so that may be the source of your confusion.

And, well, clearly Mysrai used the same choice in the article for Estarra, so I imagine the habit is well-ingrained for her as well.  Oh, habits.


When I was 14 years old I went to get my boater's safety certification (equivalent of a driver's license for a boat, it's needed for people born after 1980 – at least in Florida), and there was an individual who was fairly masculine in the course. Probably late 30s early 40s, he had a very scraggly beard – thin, but long and obviously deliberate. My mother was taking them with me, and when he had spoken loud enough for me to hear I was really confused – the voice did not match the presumed appearance. It was at that point my mother taught me my very first, very important lesson about dealing with transgendered individuals (it was the first I'd met that I knew they were, obviously):

If the outward appearance seems intended to portray a male, it is "he". If the outward appearance seems intended to portray a female, it is "she". If you aren't certain, it's always polite to introduce yourself with a smile and go off the name given – it is pretty rare to meet a trans individual who has a gender-neutral name. If it appears neutral, or you simply are uncertain and they appear to lean one way, it's fair to go that way and – if corrected – apologize profusely and make a mental note to go by what they prefer to be. People in those situations are probably used to the confusion and – while frustrating – will not be upset if it happens once and you correct yourself.

My 21st century gender diversity etiquette lesson at its conclusion, the best approach for Lusternia is this:

Estarra is female. Her character is female, her portrayal is feminine, and should be referred to as "she" ICly and OOCly.

Rob is male, and should be referred to as a male (Except when he's dressed up as a fairy godmother, then you should just be scared /flee). Given very few players have that level of familiarity, you probably shouldn't be referring to him by his given name, even on the forums. The posts are under the pseudonym "Estarra", so it's best to direct them as such. I'd certainly be annoyed if I was being referred to by my given name, and I imagine most would be, too! Now of course, in-person meetings are a bit different (I won't be glowing brightly in Vegas, for example).

Basically, the general rule I would suggest is this – if the persona presented is feminine, it's she. If the persona presented is male, it's he. If it's Mysrai, whichever you prefer. If they correct you to another gender or something else entirely (some people prefer unofficial but popular gender neutral pronouns, like "zhe"), oblige them. It certainly doesn't do you any harm to respect their preferences, and think how comfortable they'll feel! (And no one likes being deliberately identified as something they do not attribute to themselves)

Mysrai

For the Mysrai character, I tend to go by anything but it (given that my character is not a chair or other inanimate object). There's also a fairly large body of transgender literature that goes into objectification, transphobia, and other concepts attached to dehumanizing an individual there.

I rather like the solution my Order came up with (e.g. using Lord and Lady or just avoiding the issue entirely by using Thousandfold/whatever title). If referring to me, the player behind it, I am most definitely a she. The god character is neither a he or a she, or an it.

YMMV.

Cyndarin

I read that as "boater's safety convention," and was sad for your childhood.

Karlach

I should note for reference sakes I tend to refer to Divines as their in game gender. I got the Estarra being she part just fine, it was when I was suddenly double checking going "Wait, I'm SURE Shikari (the character) is Male...." 

It doesn't help I'm currently ill and my brain is totally scrambled so I got easily confused. >.<

Xenthos

What, you never met Lady Shikari?

(Please don't eat me.  /hide)

Siam

Ingwe!

Isune

Seen @Maylea's recent post, "Juggling," in Haven's Hideout? No? Change that.

Isune

Mysrai talks about the compelling contradictions of city life in our latest blog installment, "Four Lovesongs to Fair Cities," while also giving stellar book recommendations.

Zvoltz

I went to a theme park with Valtreth last weekend and on the long drive home, I started thinking about some of the stuff I still wanted to put together for Hallifax this week. That sort of led me to a blog topic, so here it is: http://www.lusternia.com/patronly-duties

Leolamins

Give Mag an active god

Xarcon

Leolamins said:

Give Mag an active god

Let's be a bit more specific Leo.... Give Mag an active, Oceania-time god.

Leolamins

Xarcon said:

Leolamins said:

Give Mag an active god

Let's be a bit more specific Leo.... Give Mag an active, Oceania-time god.

No at the moment I would just be happy with the first.  Oceania time is a hell of a bonus though!!

Shaddus

I wrote half a page talking about how i never could get into Raezon's rp, but deleted it. Meh.


In response to your statement in your blog about the balance between an actively participating god and one who merely sits on standby, I prefer the former greatly to the latter. Some people are here for rp, some for combat, some for designing. A large amount of us are here for interaction; we've made friends here, and they're real to us despite what some people may think. I myself come to Lusternia for a Combination of all of that, but especially interaction.

I can honestly say that divine interaction has been something substantial in my decisions to stick around. Fain's rp was phenomenal (to me), and it kept me going, kept me caring about Magnagora. A short while back, @Isune and I had a discussion over the order aether about why Trill didnt have languages. She probably thought it was just a trite bit of chatting, but it really convinced me that She was someone I wanted to follow and put my time and effort into working with. It's amazing to just carry on a conversation with a divine sometimes.

I've had characters in almost every order, and each god has done small things to impress or amaze me, and keep me hooked. I can remember decapping a few people during a Seren raid, and Shikari actually gave me a personal godmote/whatever and favored me right there. Or Lyreth meeting Pesukaru when he hit demigod, and dropping Avatar on him for absolutely no reason. Or Terentia. God, I've had more fun with Terentia than she knows, be it Shaddus being horribly rude to her, or her talks with Pesukaru, and letting it slip that she thought highly of his being so small, yet dedicated to serving the Light. Or Morgfyre giving Lunamarie her sigil personally, and it setting into her gut. (She was a fat brewmeister dwarf, which made it double funny).

I may bitch and complain pretty often, and I don't know what any of the divine really think of me either as a player or as a character, but you guys are the reason I keep coming back, over anything else. Thank you.

Shaddus

As an aside, it's generally not a good idea to imbue merian t-bones and merian meatball pasta with esteem and offer it to Terentia. Learned my lesson on that one.

Shaddus

It's either the lack of breakfast or the lack of coffee here at work, but I keep thinking of things I want to say.

You know, it's the little things that interest me. The big events and flashy world emotes are cool and all, but I'm more appreciative of gods who do things like smalltalk and/or rp with you on a personal level, or customise their artifacts (still waiting on those dingbat prayer beads, @Maylea ), or just show up at the nexus and let the mortals fawn over them in some small way. From Isune presiding over our wedding to Fain summoning his throne up through the ground of the stage room to watch a play with us, to Maylea's amazing book about her past, and even Terentia's occasional "I need a test subject" which always ends in doom, it's the little interactions that I love.

Valtreth

Doubly dangerous! @Hoaracle has roused from his musings to reflect upon IronCon here, and I've briefly recounted the slightly less-publicized but no less amazing Ohio player (and God) meet-up here. If you haven't attended a meet of some sort, you're definitely missing out!

Kio

TIL Zvoltz is a cutie and Sondayga looks very, very familiar.

Alary

That fruit ninja thing was amazing, and I totally resemble that comment you made. e.e But yeah, it was a blast. Want to do more now. 

Kagato

Valtreth said:

Doubly dangerous! @Hoaracle has roused from his musings to reflect upon IronCon here, and I've briefly recounted the slightly less-publicized but no less amazing Ohio player (and God) meet-up here. If you haven't attended a meet of some sort, you're definitely missing out!

Sadly I only know of maybe two other lusternians that live in New Zealand, one of who was very much inactive until recently and know of no divine that live in NZ (or even Australia, unless I am mistaken...), the only one I definitely know of that lives outside of the USA is Iosai, who is in the UK.

Isune

A new god blog for your reading pleasure.

Rialorm

Isune said:

A new god blog for your reading pleasure.

For a moment there I was scared you were leaving too. Nice blog, I love reading these for that little behind the scenes insight. Still sad that Iosai is leaving however