From: takkyon@morbius.dartmouth.edu (Dr. Tachyon)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pern
Subject: Re: Re:MU* keeness (kinda long)
Date: 21 Jan 93 11:39:26 GMT
Organization: PsiLords of Takis Health Club and Massage Parlor
X-Useragent: Diamond Mask 2.8b4


INITIAL DISCLAIMER: Read the disclaimer at the end of this post before
you flame.  Thank you.

If you don't care a whit for MU* matters, politics, ranting wizards,
etc., feel free to hit 'n' now.
^L

In article [snip] khearn@pyrps5.eng.pyramid.com (Keith Hearn) writes:
>Alex Feely <af2e+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>>Hello,
>>
>>  As far as being keen on a MU*(keen is the ability to hear all
>>dragons), PernMush has an, as far as i know, soon to start tinyplot
>>involving a female freind of mine (who shall remain nameless to to
>>tinyplot) who is a harper, but the dragons want her to take a queen egg.
>>        I assume a keen person could impress any hatchling they wanted,
being
>>able to communicate with it when not impressed, and thus have an extreme
>>edge. Any thoughts on keeness would be appreciated, as I as well am
>>interested in this topic.
>>
>>            Gagen
>>
>>        & Chatt the leaper
>
>Um, has this been cleared with the Wizards and the Weyrleaders/Weyrwomen
>  yet?

No.  It has not, at least, been cleared by the wizards.  We had such a
request not long ago, discussed it briefly on the mailing list, and said
no.  If this is the same person, she'd better have a *good* explanation.

>[stuff deleted]
>And you should prolly check with 'the dragons' before you start
>  claiming that they want her to take a queen egg.

Horvath> Horvath bespoke all << Hear us?  Well, she sure hasn't heard
anything *I've* said to her! >> [*1]

>I think you'd better get permission OOC, before you start trying to run
a 
>  TP with someone claiming to hear dragons. I can state categoricly
>  that High Reaches Weyr will *not* give any sort of special
>  consideration (in regards to Impression) to someone claiming to hear 
>  dragons w/o approval. In fact, they will prolly have it held against 
>  them.

Definitely (well, if I had any responsibility for High Reaches, which I
do NOT, dammit, and thank God for small favors [*1]).  Allow me to
clarify a point that, although most experienced PernMUSH players take for
granted, some newer players may not be aware of: which characters become
riders is a decision made by the Weyrleader and Weyrwoman -- more
accurately, their players -- of the Weyr whose eggs are hatching.  It is
NOT random.  And it is certainly not going to be influenced by a player
claiming, with no backup from *any* of the PernMUSH authorities, to hear
dragons, etc., at least not at any Weyr where the leaders have anything
even remotely resembling a clue. [*2]

>I can't speak for the wizards or other Weyrleaders/Weyrwomen on
>  PernMUSH, but I think they'll tend to agree with me on this issue.

Historically speaking, I can recall no more than two PernMUSH characters
who were ever 'officially' recognized as being able to hear dragons, only
one of whom I ever met personally.  I seriously doubt that such an
ability will be countenanced by the wizcorps any time in the near future;
in the unlikely event that it were, the player would have to be someone
who was doing it purely for roleplaying purposes and not with the
intention of gaining some advantage thereby (i.e., taking a queen egg. 
Ahem. [*3])

My feeling is that deciding if a player can or cannot hear dragons is
properly a decision for the wizards, rather than the Weyrleaders, since I
honestly can't see that it has anything to do with Weyr (as opposed to
draconic) matters.  It is more of a theme and game balance (ah, those
dreaded words!) issue.  Certainly, however, it would still be up to the
individual Weyrs as to whether or not such a person could or would ever
Impress.

>  A'lon

DISCLAIMER: I speak only for myself, and the position I hold on PernMUSH.
 My opinions should not be interpreted as officially endorsed by the
wizards of PernMUSH as a group, and I refuse to be held responsible for
the flames anyone who tries to do so will get.

			-- dr.  "asbestos riding jacket?  why no, i've never needed one" t
          C'trel, bronze Horvath's rider and Wizard of PernMUSH
         (I've always wanted to put that in an a.f.p posting...[*4])

[*1] ObDenialOfDesireForResponsibility
[*2] No comment on whether or not all current PernMUSH WL/WW qualify
should be implied. :)
[*3] ObCheapshot
[*4 ObPowerlust

--
email: takkyon@{turing, morbius, winesap}.dartmouth.edu
The Few.  The Proud.  The Unrepentantly Fascist.  The Wizards of PernMUSH.
"Personally, I think they would've been better off with a gila monster in
their sock than this guy in their pocket." -- P. J. O'Rourke
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pern