Good times and bum times, I’ve seen them all And, my dear, I’m still here! These Stephen Sondheim lyrics run through my head as I think about this improbable project called Lusternia. While the notion itself was fantastic that I would create a new online game, at no time did I look forward and imagine…

I am deathly allergic to all forms of improvisation, spontaneity, and fun. So when I logged in to Lusternia on the morning of the thirteenth to cries of “hey, who is taking the last dream god?”, and I looked and saw which role still needed filling, and then said, “well, I guess I can if…

We all know that sometimes, when a Divine returns after a long time away, they’re not quite the same. We all talk about it – though we pretend we’re not, and do it behind closed doors. In our community there is a taboo against questioning whether the Divine you’re interacting with now is played by…

SERENLEAKS: NOTES ON ADASSER (or How to Help Us Help You RP)   Typically, when an administrator takes over a god role, they write about their reasons: Why did I take So-and-So? How difficult was the event that revealed X? What inspirations do I draw upon to develop God, the Godly God’s personality and beliefs?…

Lusternia reached a tremendous milestone as 2014 marked its ten year anniversary. It seems like yesterday that I was rushing to finalize the rooms and skills so Lusternia could be released in October 2004 as we had planned. There was so much to do! The Skarch Desert had to be completely described (for rather contentious…

One fateful day off, as I sat in front of my computer with a steaming cup of coffee, it dawned on me – Elf on a Shelf is a terrifying, horrible concept that has further polluted the beautiful idea of the holiday season. What mad, commercialism-driven fiend developed this evil toy that watches people from…

It is difficult to discuss suicide. As someone who has dealt with this idea personally and professionally, for a variety of organizations, I can vouch for how terribly hard it is for the person who is having suicidal thoughts and for the people who are doing everything they can in a supportive role. In the…

Kate von Roeder, formerly Visaeris, is dead. Many of you are aware from the forum threads. And now, I find myself with the second post this year about suicide. Again, someone I knew. Fantastically talented, passionate, willful, always brilliant and interesting. Kate epitomized some of the best and worst qualities, but she never did it…

If there’s one thing everyone has an opinion about, it’s how a Divine should behave. You learn this almost immediately as an admin. Be aggressive and vocal in your org, but don’t be too commanding or too opinionated. Be friendly and encouraging, but don’t be too snuggly. Be a visible presence to prove that you’re…

The morning sun had barely peeked out over the horizon; birds were chirping, butterflies were fluttering, squirrels were being squirrely and I was steadfastly ignoring all of it as I worked agitatedly at My forge, a scowl marring My otherwise Divine complexion. It was a disturbance to the north that had Me so riled up……