So, after 2 years, the roleplay Dark Reign has come to an end here on Iwaku.
It was the fourth installment of a saga that began 8 years ago when our old administrator, Gabriel Zero, drew a comic called Iwaku Bomb. The comic inspired a mass roleplay that in turn became a Mythos, and remains (in my opinion) the greatest story ever told on this forum.
Of course, the Mythos is never truly gone. Anyone is welcome to use the elements of the meta-narrative.
But with the close of Dark Reign the original plotlines have now concluded. Only seven characters survived. There are very few members left who were there at the beginning, and fewer still who would be able to GM another installment. It is my feeling (though many will disagree) that the canon story is finished. King Gabriel uniting the lands, the civil war of the Three Princes, the invasion of Diana and the final testament of the Goddess - these are arcs that have all come to an end.
Anything after this will be a reinvention or a second generation. And though I welcome those new ages, I doubt how much of myself I can give to them.
This has taken a lot out of me. For eight years I have recorded and memorized the plot arcs of more than 50 characters and struggled to bring every theme to resolution. It's been a mammoth undertaking for all involved.
Of course, there was nothing unattainable about what we did. We were simply talented people in the right place at the right time. We would not be here without Gabe's art style, or [MENTION=7]Paorou-sama[/MENTION]'s tremendous imaginative power, or Rory's metaphysical undertakings. We would not be here without [MENTION=30]Arsenal XA4[/MENTION] , [MENTION=50]Warmaster Death[/MENTION] and [MENTION=32]Captain Nic[/MENTION] fleshing out the military aspects of the setting. We would not be here without the sustained posting of members like [MENTION=22]Kitti[/MENTION] , [MENTION=58]Grumpy NotaIrish[/MENTION] , [MENTION=1337]Hydronine[/MENTION] , Lycan Queen and Palonis. Nor would we be here without the efforts of people like [MENTION=17]Porg[/MENTION] and [MENTION=3]Pirogeth[/MENTION] and [MENTION=13]Sakura[/MENTION] who brought their own stylistic flavours to the setting. And lastly, the superb co-plotting undertaken by [MENTION=16]Jack Shade[/MENTION] and [MENTION=285]Tegan[/MENTION].
And even [MENTION=9]CoffeeCake[/MENTION], waxing lyrical about things in the Cbox...
There are countless names, many of them no longer with us. Dozens of old members have moved on, but we have carried their stories to completion. I guiltily hope that they may chance upon Iwaku again one day and notice the legends they left.
I could spend an entire thread talking about all the twists and turns of this epic and the moments when certain members took the spotlight. But 8 years of storytelling can not be summed up so easily. We used the Mythos to reflect the trials of our own lives and the trials of the forum. It was a mythologized tale of our own coming of age.
For me, it followed my shift in beliefs - my messianic leanings, my philosophy about utopia and synchronicity. In some ways the Mythos WAS the story of my teenage years.
But most of all, it brought me together with the love of my life. My wife and I grew together because of this story, and she was the best of many friends I made in the telling of this tale.
To all those who weren't here for the Mythos, I want you to remember that great stories can be told online, and they can send you to such places that you've never imagined.
Our Mythos is done. But yours may be just be beginning. Never be afraid to dream big.
I hope to see another thread like this in 8 years time.
But anyway, this is a party that's been long overdue. SO EVERYONE COME AND SHARE YOUR MEMORIES!
*dumps balloons all over the thread*
It was the fourth installment of a saga that began 8 years ago when our old administrator, Gabriel Zero, drew a comic called Iwaku Bomb. The comic inspired a mass roleplay that in turn became a Mythos, and remains (in my opinion) the greatest story ever told on this forum.
Of course, the Mythos is never truly gone. Anyone is welcome to use the elements of the meta-narrative.
But with the close of Dark Reign the original plotlines have now concluded. Only seven characters survived. There are very few members left who were there at the beginning, and fewer still who would be able to GM another installment. It is my feeling (though many will disagree) that the canon story is finished. King Gabriel uniting the lands, the civil war of the Three Princes, the invasion of Diana and the final testament of the Goddess - these are arcs that have all come to an end.
Anything after this will be a reinvention or a second generation. And though I welcome those new ages, I doubt how much of myself I can give to them.
This has taken a lot out of me. For eight years I have recorded and memorized the plot arcs of more than 50 characters and struggled to bring every theme to resolution. It's been a mammoth undertaking for all involved.
Of course, there was nothing unattainable about what we did. We were simply talented people in the right place at the right time. We would not be here without Gabe's art style, or [MENTION=7]Paorou-sama[/MENTION]'s tremendous imaginative power, or Rory's metaphysical undertakings. We would not be here without [MENTION=30]Arsenal XA4[/MENTION] , [MENTION=50]Warmaster Death[/MENTION] and [MENTION=32]Captain Nic[/MENTION] fleshing out the military aspects of the setting. We would not be here without the sustained posting of members like [MENTION=22]Kitti[/MENTION] , [MENTION=58]Grumpy NotaIrish[/MENTION] , [MENTION=1337]Hydronine[/MENTION] , Lycan Queen and Palonis. Nor would we be here without the efforts of people like [MENTION=17]Porg[/MENTION] and [MENTION=3]Pirogeth[/MENTION] and [MENTION=13]Sakura[/MENTION] who brought their own stylistic flavours to the setting. And lastly, the superb co-plotting undertaken by [MENTION=16]Jack Shade[/MENTION] and [MENTION=285]Tegan[/MENTION].
And even [MENTION=9]CoffeeCake[/MENTION], waxing lyrical about things in the Cbox...
There are countless names, many of them no longer with us. Dozens of old members have moved on, but we have carried their stories to completion. I guiltily hope that they may chance upon Iwaku again one day and notice the legends they left.
I could spend an entire thread talking about all the twists and turns of this epic and the moments when certain members took the spotlight. But 8 years of storytelling can not be summed up so easily. We used the Mythos to reflect the trials of our own lives and the trials of the forum. It was a mythologized tale of our own coming of age.
For me, it followed my shift in beliefs - my messianic leanings, my philosophy about utopia and synchronicity. In some ways the Mythos WAS the story of my teenage years.
But most of all, it brought me together with the love of my life. My wife and I grew together because of this story, and she was the best of many friends I made in the telling of this tale.
To all those who weren't here for the Mythos, I want you to remember that great stories can be told online, and they can send you to such places that you've never imagined.
Our Mythos is done. But yours may be just be beginning. Never be afraid to dream big.
I hope to see another thread like this in 8 years time.
But anyway, this is a party that's been long overdue. SO EVERYONE COME AND SHARE YOUR MEMORIES!
*dumps balloons all over the thread*
[MENTION=285]Tegan[/MENTION]
[MENTION=3]Pirogeth[/MENTION]
[MENTION=17]Porg[/MENTION]
[MENTION=1061]Ozzie Chanter[/MENTION]
[MENTION=6]Blind Hemingway[/MENTION]
[MENTION=59]soullesshuman[/MENTION]
[MENTION=304]Acquariana[/MENTION]
[MENTION=50]Warmaster Death[/MENTION]
[MENTION=32]Captain Nic[/MENTION]
[MENTION=15]Woodrat[/MENTION]
[MENTION=9]CoffeeCake[/MENTION]
[MENTION=93]Jumi[/MENTION]
[MENTION=607]Homac[/MENTION]
[MENTION=8]Diana[/MENTION]
[MENTION=22]Kitti[/MENTION]
[MENTION=58]Grumpy NotaIrish[/MENTION]
[MENTION=23]Neko Archy[/MENTION]
[MENTION=67]Fel[/MENTION]
[MENTION=28]Celcius[/MENTION]
[MENTION=16]Jack Shade[/MENTION]
[MENTION=69]Vay[/MENTION]
[MENTION=46]Miru[/MENTION]
[MENTION=7]Paorou-sama[/MENTION]
[MENTION=5]Orochi[/MENTION]
[MENTION=3363]Jinx The Jesture[/MENTION]
[MENTION=1612]Lycan Queen[/MENTION]
[MENTION=4]Delnoir[/MENTION]
[MENTION=19]Torsty[/MENTION]
[MENTION=739]unanun[/MENTION]
[MENTION=2857]Fluffy[/MENTION]
[MENTION=335]Tain[/MENTION]
[MENTION=13]Sakura[/MENTION]
[MENTION=4443]megane-kun[/MENTION]
[MENTION=1030]Zen[/MENTION]
[MENTION=2818]Faulkner[/MENTION]
[MENTION=287]Seiji[/MENTION]
[MENTION=276]Slyen[/MENTION]
[MENTION=4825]Imp[/MENTION]
[MENTION=53]Kazesei[/MENTION]
[MENTION=4054]Kris[/MENTION]
[MENTION=25]King Weavel[/MENTION]
[MENTION=31]Myrnodyn[/MENTION]
[MENTION=21]Tyler Crane[/MENTION]
[MENTION=1337]Hydronine[/MENTION]
[MENTION=206]Razilin[/MENTION]
[MENTION=319]Angry GMK[/MENTION]
[MENTION=143]Cosmic Orion[/MENTION]
[MENTION=8]Diana[/MENTION]
[MENTION=358]Zypher[/MENTION]
[MENTION=972]XC[/MENTION]
[MENTION=45]Spammy[/MENTION]
[MENTION=3]Pirogeth[/MENTION]
[MENTION=17]Porg[/MENTION]
[MENTION=1061]Ozzie Chanter[/MENTION]
[MENTION=6]Blind Hemingway[/MENTION]
[MENTION=59]soullesshuman[/MENTION]
[MENTION=304]Acquariana[/MENTION]
[MENTION=50]Warmaster Death[/MENTION]
[MENTION=32]Captain Nic[/MENTION]
[MENTION=15]Woodrat[/MENTION]
[MENTION=9]CoffeeCake[/MENTION]
[MENTION=93]Jumi[/MENTION]
[MENTION=607]Homac[/MENTION]
[MENTION=8]Diana[/MENTION]
[MENTION=22]Kitti[/MENTION]
[MENTION=58]Grumpy NotaIrish[/MENTION]
[MENTION=23]Neko Archy[/MENTION]
[MENTION=67]Fel[/MENTION]
[MENTION=28]Celcius[/MENTION]
[MENTION=16]Jack Shade[/MENTION]
[MENTION=69]Vay[/MENTION]
[MENTION=46]Miru[/MENTION]
[MENTION=7]Paorou-sama[/MENTION]
[MENTION=5]Orochi[/MENTION]
[MENTION=3363]Jinx The Jesture[/MENTION]
[MENTION=1612]Lycan Queen[/MENTION]
[MENTION=4]Delnoir[/MENTION]
[MENTION=19]Torsty[/MENTION]
[MENTION=739]unanun[/MENTION]
[MENTION=2857]Fluffy[/MENTION]
[MENTION=335]Tain[/MENTION]
[MENTION=13]Sakura[/MENTION]
[MENTION=4443]megane-kun[/MENTION]
[MENTION=1030]Zen[/MENTION]
[MENTION=2818]Faulkner[/MENTION]
[MENTION=287]Seiji[/MENTION]
[MENTION=276]Slyen[/MENTION]
[MENTION=4825]Imp[/MENTION]
[MENTION=53]Kazesei[/MENTION]
[MENTION=4054]Kris[/MENTION]
[MENTION=25]King Weavel[/MENTION]
[MENTION=31]Myrnodyn[/MENTION]
[MENTION=21]Tyler Crane[/MENTION]
[MENTION=1337]Hydronine[/MENTION]
[MENTION=206]Razilin[/MENTION]
[MENTION=319]Angry GMK[/MENTION]
[MENTION=143]Cosmic Orion[/MENTION]
[MENTION=8]Diana[/MENTION]
[MENTION=358]Zypher[/MENTION]
[MENTION=972]XC[/MENTION]
[MENTION=45]Spammy[/MENTION]
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