This is long - I'm sorry. But don't worry - it will be the first and only post I make on this topic.
Please let me say, that I have played this game, with nothing but honor, respect, courage, wisdom, ethics and discretion for the past 2+ years. I would probably be the last person who would EVER want to create drama.
Right now, I am on a public forum saying things that will most likely cause a "flame war"; will most likely cause disagreement; disrespect for me, and in the end, ruin the reputation that I have earned over the past 2 years.
Over and above all of the things that I am at risk of losing; my hope is that it might enable others; specifically leaders/shell holders who entrust their hard earned work and energy in leading a linkshell to think hard and long about *who* is minding *the store* so to speak while they are away; by away I mean maybe taking some well deserved time off for family and rl; entrusting the care and leadership to their *leaders* ..... aah the irony. It's a cry to many of the respectable; hard working and reputable linkshell holders/sackholders to be careful; be wary; don't be too trusting in who you choose to help you lead.
The title of my post is there because someone, who is a very well known leader here on Shiva who shall remain nameless, but has more class; honor; loyalty; intelligence; kindness; than anyone I have met in this game made that statement to me earlier last week.
While the whole thing is completely ironic; I took that statement with a grain of salt; because, naievely of me, I had never really seen I guess what you would call "evil" in this game. Heck; most importantly, I never believed evil could exist in this game. I trusted the people who I thought were my friends; who fought beside me; who reached for the same goals as I; who led beside me, as co-leaders, friends and our shell holder.
At the least I believed that in times of turmoil and trouble; your *friends* stood beside; fought with you; remained by your side.
After all ... isn't that how countries rebuild after war? Cities rebuild after floods or earthquakes?
Evil?? That only happened to people outside of our small world as a linkshell; to others; through greed, hatred, disrespect for others; spineless cowards who hid behind bold actions and only cared about themselves and what they could gain.
Evil??? What is evil? Is it people who cheat and degrade others boldly and publicly without regard for anyone? Is evil only those we talk about in our forums who bot and cheat and steal? Who are blatant in their indifference for rules and feelings? That's what I thought Evil was. And when this person mentioned "I have seen Evil"; in my mind I believed it was all about those things - but could never apply to my *world* to our linkshell; to our friends and co-leaders who fought and built side by side.
Well folks; *I have seen Evil* first hand this week. I have seen evil in the name of leaders; so called leaders; who led, like the Pied Piper, a group of people whom I thought I had respect for and who respected me, on a descent into Hell. These people; so-called fellow leaders; set out to destroy; tarnish; degrade; rape and demoralize a group of people that has worked hard to be the exact opposite of all of those things.
I'm talking about an outstanding linkshell here; my linkshell Illuminatusls .... a linkshell that I was a sackholder of, along with them.
A linkshell that now is in a downward spiral - led by *these people* I called *friend* .. What do they say "It's better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't". Oh to have only really, truly *known* them for who they really are.
Maybe this all happened because it's Halloween... but Yes - this week I met Evil in this game. I met Evil - evil people who manipulated the minds of people I thought were my friends; lied; cheated; stole; planned in the background, probably for weeks; hell maybe even months to do what they did on Monday of this week.....took everyone, mostly, and everything we worked hard for and started a new linkshell, a linkshell with a new name.
The items; things they took are just tangible and can be replaced .... perhaps not in our linkshell time that is left; but perhaps in other groups. The most devestation was something that you can't put your hands on; you can't take to Sky, or Sea, or Dynamis; you can't buy items or great gear; you can't trade it to anyone for anything.
More importantly, they divided; took away the Spirit and Soul of a group of people; betrayed our shell holder; friendships were divided and destroyed; foundations crumbled; dreams and plans destroyed. That much Evil succeeded in.
Can I say they conquered? Not really; the remaining members of my linkshell have the core values; loyalty; honesty; commitment; hope; caring; *guts*; integrity. Those things cannot be destroyed by evil. The tangible things can be rebuilt again through effort; commitment and hard work.
Read into this whatever you desire; it might appear to some to be a mindless blather by some disenchanted linkshell member with a grudge. That is not the case at all; more so it is a testament; a warning so to speak to what might happen if you let your guard down; if you trust unconditionally; if you empower people with things you hold dear.
I hope, you all never meet Evil in your journey on our small Shiva server. Sadly; I believe you will - ha! I know you will - they go by many names; they say they are many things and would have you believe they are your friends - they are building and growing strong.......I don't need to name them here because I know you will meet them soon ... but it doesn't mean you must join them.
Take care.
Edited, Oct 19th 2006 at 4:24am PDT by femwhispers
Edited, Oct 19th 2006 at 7:14am PDT by femwhispers