February 2014
Editors :: Trehan Graison & Vane Kattalakis Contributors :: Bride Kattalakis Adrian Lazos Phenix Everknowing Kiara Bellamy Appolymi DHGO Soteria Parthenopaeus Grace Alexander Jasmine Macgregor Jenks Spriggan Georgia Rhys-Bowen Esmerelda Essie Devereaux Dhgo Venusaphrodite Dhgo GoddessofLove
Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 ____________________ How to Deal With Role-Play Drama . . .10 ____________________ Meet Essie :: Spotlight Character . . . . . . . . . 28 ____________________ Check Out the BPID :: Spotlight Group . . . . 5 ____________________ Book Corner :: Ghost Walkers . . . . . . . . . . 25
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For February I chose to spotlight BPID (Bureau For Paranormal Investigations and Defense). This small friendly group caught my attention probably six months ago and I've enjoyed reading them. For the interview, I spoke with founder and administrator Regan D'Angelo. I'd like to thank her for her consideration in the article and thoughtful answers. Here is what she had to say :: Q :: What is one thing that you think stands out about your group? Regan D'Angelo :: hmmm, I'm not sure if I can pick just one thing. We all love the story and work hard to bring somethin the fans want ta keep comin back ta read. We try ta make sure that everythin we write flows together.
We also get along very well with each other. We love ta interact with fans as well as each other. It's tough ta pick one thing.
Q :: What made you decide to start this group? Regan D'Angelo :: Well, Chris and I came up with the story. We have been writin together for almost 2 1/2 years in other groups, and we came up with it together. So we came up with the idea when The Castle Society closed. We were writing partners there and when it closed we still wanted to write with each other so we came up with the idea for our group together. Q :: Sadly some groups seem to die off rather quickly on face book. and even quicker with them cracking down. Do you have any advice for Role players when it comes to interacting with groups? Regan D'Angelo :: I would say ta pick a group that ye seem ta fit in well with. A group that fits yer writing style. Stay in character as much as possible. It helps ta stay in yer character's head. Even in chat I stay in character. I rarely break from that. And also there seems ta be so much drama and negative shite goin on, I would say try ta avoid that as much as possible. We try very hard ta be drama free. And so far I think we've been successful. I have an awesome writing partner so that has helped as well.
Q :: What would you like to see in the future of rp groups and why? How about the future for you're group? Regan D'Angelo :: Well, as far as the future of RP groups I would say we all need ta get back to writing and have fun. As far as for our group goes. We all want to see our story keep growing and evolving. It's ever changing and that's exciting. We have a couple of roles open at the moment so we'd love ta have them filled. Q :: When it comes to group politics everyone seems to have their own method to things and I was wondering what your opinion might be as to how to work with other groups? Regan D'Angelo :: Well, we all read other groups. And we talk ta the characters in them as well. We feel that RP groups should try ta support each other. There is plenty of room on Facebook for us all. When a group has an event, we try ta be there if possible as long as we don't have somethin goin on in our own group. We pop in on other fan pages and hang with the characters from other groups. This is a place ta have fun, escape reality and write
awesome stories. There are so many good stories and groups out there, supportin one another is key.
Q :: Finally if you could summarize for us what we can expect in watching your group for the future? Regan D'Angelo :: Well, we have some twists comin very soon. One of them is involvin mine and Chris' son, Collin. We are travelin ta other realms. When we fill Sergio's role, ye'll see a
relationship blossom between him and Mia. And when Gage is filled a romance with Anne. We are always comin up with new things, I'm not sure we even know yet where we are goin. Our story seems ta have a life of it's own. Just when we think we are goin one direction, the story takes us some place unexpected, and we think that's exciting. Sometimes we have so many ideas we have ta try ta decide which one ta write next. Besides, we can't give away all our secrets...*laughs* ye have ta come read ta find out....
Guardiano Oscuro is an up and coming multiverse. They’re new to the scene and have many roles available as well as welcoming indies. To check them out contact Vane, Bride, Phenix, Appolymi, or Jenks. Fan Page :: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1405544303024110/ Open Characters :: https://www.facebook.com/groups/617184451652279/
We all have had it and most of us hate it. That little bit of drama that seems to crop up that isn’t even really necessary to the role play. We here at the Gazette thought we should approach the drama head on and give you some tips and pointers on how to handle it next time it arises for you. We’ll start with why you want to address the drama Head on. Then go from there. I hope this helps all you people out in role-play land. Here we go . . . . Why
address problems and drama head on?
RP is no fun without lots of awesome friends, so it's very important to take good care of the friendships that you have. Although it's nearly impossible to spend weeks,
months or years with someone and not eventually have a problem of some variety, most of these issues can be resolved without fuss if you know how to approach them. Maybe you feel the RP is in a rut and you want to suggest your friend move out of their comfort zone with you. Maybe they said something offhand that surprised and shocked you. Maybe they stood you up for play dates few times too often. Whatever it is, we're all human; we all need forgiveness, and we all need other people to honor our boundaries too. There's two ways that a conflict can go: You can keep getting more and more frustrated until the RP, the friendship, or perhaps even the entire group comes to a grinding halt (or explodes in a ball of flaming drama) The problem can be dealt with and you can keep on having good times with your RP group. The hard part is knowing what to do to get outcome #2. There's only one guarantee: Not dealing with the problem will ALWAYS lead to the game being less fun, and eventually, ending entirely. Bringing up problems is hard, but it's important you do as quickly as possible
It's incredibly tempting to not address problems with your friends, for fear of rankling them and destroying everyone's fun. But here's a thought: When you bottle up problems, you stop having fun. Honest. Life sucks when you feel like you're putting up with someone else's disrespect or issues. You're not a martyr, you're a gamer. There's a difference! And when you stop having fun, you stop wanting to play. So here's my point. Given the nature of RP, you can only game when your RP partners are turning up to game. If your RP partners choose to stop playing instead of telling you what's wrong, you're not having fun anymore! Talking stuff out can be difficult, but it's much more fun than the alternative.
So the next time you're considering leaving because you're not having fun anymore, remember: Your RP partners want to have fun too, and the only way they can have it is if you are having fun. Remind yourself that you're not being
mean, you're doing your partners a tremendous favor by discussing issues with them. And it goes a step further! Most people don't just want to have fun, they also want to feel that their RP partners like them and are their friends. If you don't want to confront because it might be mean, consider that it might be much meaner to assume that your friend won't try new things to help you be happy and comfortable. Addressing your concerns, whatever they might be, can strengthen your friendships and prevent bigger problems down the road. So be excellent to each other, and tell your friends (gently and with love) what they can do to help you be a happy member of your group. How to talk to friends about problems Above, we discussed that as scary or mean as it can feel to "confront" someone who is hurting your feelings or making the game a drag, it can be much meaner to not let them know how they can help you out. Once you've got the nerve to tell them, what do you say? #1: Assume that the person who is giving you trouble wants to be your friend
Most people want to be liked and want others to think well of them. Most people want to be good friends with the people they choose to play games with. But most people are also, sadly, people, and don't always know how to accomplish it. Before you do anything, take a deep breath and convince yourself, at least for the duration of the conversation, that whatever has been going on was an accident and this person would be your friend if they knew how. Giving them that benefit of the doubt costs you nothing, and sets the conversation up to go well.  #2: Start simple, and focus on yourself  Reading a huge dissertation on how you've been hurtful can put people on the defensive. Start with a brief, nonaccusatory note. Something like, "Hi (person), you probably didn't realize it, but that joke you made about Norwegian fish actually cut pretty close to home for me and I've been working up the nerve to tell you. I don't want this to damage our awesome RP or friendship. Can we talk about it a bit?" If they're willing, you can then discuss why and how it hurt you -- but the first step is just opening the door. When they get to step through it themselves, they're apt to be less defensive and more curious how to help. #3: Use a friendly title, too  First impressions matter. Every first impression! Make
sure you aren't putting your friend into defensive mode before they even start reading your message by picking a non-scary subject for the message as well. It's scary to get a message with a name like "Concern" or "Problem" or "Can we talk?", and people with elevated heart rates have pretty poor reading comprehension skills. Instead, try "Hey there!" or "About that Norwegian fish joke" or even "You know what would make this RP even cooler?" #4: Keep your eye on the prize This may be a difficult conversation for you to have, and you may be tempted to give up, but being silently unhappy is worse! Be honest and keep at it. You can guarantee you'll stay unhappy by doing nothing, but you give yourself (and your friend) a chance to have fun again by talking about it.
#5: Acknowledge any positive progress immediately Changing habits is hard work! Even if your friend isn't able to immediately change their tune, if you notice any improvement, make sure to "catch them in the act of doing something right." If they apologize, thank them for their apology. If they change their behavior, send them a PM thanking them for being willing to try new things. #6: Finish by asking if you can help THEM have more fun, too If you've been silent about issues for awhile, chances are that your RP partner has sensed that something is off, and felt a little hurt too. See if you can do something to restore the warmth. What to do if you receive a message from a friend asking you to talk about a problem Asking someone if they can alter or explain their behavior to help with hurt feelings or other social fallout is a difficult message to send. But it can also be a difficult message to receive. You've just been given a golden opportunity to strengthen a friendship, but it may not feel like that at first. Keep these tips in mind to increase your chances at a positive outcome.
First thing's first: You must answer. Right now. This very second. If you value your friendship with this person, or you value the potential of friendship with that person, or you value the social circle you and this person are both a part of, you need to answer that message promptly. Even if it's tough. If you don't know what to say, say that! But say it quickly. "Wow, I had no idea. I am so surprised I don't know what to say. I'm really sorry you were so unhappy. Can I take a day or two to do some soul searching before we have a good chat about this?" Notice that this response is friendly, it acknowledges the other person's feelings, but it doesn't admit to having done something wrong -- it just contains a promise to think about it. It can be difficult or hurtful to receive a message saying you hurt someone's feelings, but resist the urge to shout, insult or throw blame back. It won't make your friend any happier with you. It won't help at all! If you've got your own beef, be open to acknowledging issues on both sides. If you cultivate the skill of being curious and asking questions rather than being defensive, you will rapidly become a pinnacle of the community, and the sort of person that RP groups revolve around and depend on. You will be... epic. Not sure if you should bring it up? What happens if you don't actually know why someone
Welcome to Dark Hunter Unbound and Unchained, We are a new group but have built incredibly fast with over sixty characters strong! Looking in the month of Love to bring home our Lost Love Ones to their, mates, friends and families, but know that we have many other roles that might be perfect just for YOU! Know that we are a Canon Group, who follows the Author goddess Sherrilyn Kenyon books, but have an edge of creativity to bring their roles to life. If interested we ask you to be: 18 years of age or older, good working knowledge of the books and the character you are applying for and come with an Enthusiasm that matches ours! Come join our Family! Follow the Link to Our Writers Needed Page! https://www.facebook.com/groups/468010613319157/
someone is being weird? It can be hard to know if someone is being mean to you or just plain distracted. Sometimes, you feel awkward or unhappy, but you don't have anything concrete to call a person out on so you don't want to say anything at all. Unfortunately, this usually leads to more feelings of awkwardness and unhappiness, and can take the joy out of RP for everyone just the same as more overt problems. So brace yourself. This is a doozy. You're going to ask them. Check this out! It's super easy: "I get the impression you're uncomfortable or unhappy. Is something wrong? Can I do anything to make you feel more relaxed or welcome?" Whoa. Doesn't that feel better? Sometimes people want to bring up an issue, but they don't know how, or are afraid, and you can help keep the good times rolling by letting them know that you do want to be their friend and you're open to talking about their worry. And remember, you're just asking to talk about it, not committing to anything -- on the super unlikely offchance that they ask for something completely outrageous, you can still politely decline. Sometimes there's no issue at all, but RL distractions can have them behaving oddly and sending signals they didn't mean to send, and knowing that's the reason can be a huge relief. So give it a try! Â ď śPatterns: What to do if drama follows you no matter
where you go  If you've been in a lot of RP communities and consistently had the same problem in all of them, that might be a clue that there's something about you that needs addressing. It's possible that you've had a run of bad luck, but it's even more likely that you've got some habit that's triggering people's worst selves instead of their highest selves. I know, it sucks to think about, because you rock. And that's not sarcasm. But let's entertain the idea for a minute and face some hard stuff. Luckily, breaking these patterns is often deceptively simple. Start by getting curious. It's easy to be angry, feel like a victim, or complain about people being petty, but table that for now. You can come back to it later if you feel you need to, promise. First, find someone you trust, and who has strong ties in your RP community. They'll know what's up. And then you're going to work some serious magic, and you're going to ask. Observe!   "Hello (person), I'm writing to you because I admire and trust you. And I know I can trust you be honest with me. I keep having this issue wherever I go. I always feel like I'm being (excluded/looked down on/attacked/mocked/your issue here) every time I join a new RP group. It happens so often, I want to do something to make sure it doesn't happen here. Since you are a good friend of mine, please tell me directly, is there something I could change to get better reactions from people? I promise not to be upset with you!"
Embarking upon a weight-loss or fitness program is easier when you do it with friends. Meet other people who are struggling with their fitness as they discuss diets, fitness routines, counting calories, and what foods to choose. https://www.facebook.com/groups/815842998429360/
Then there's the hard part. You have to make good on your promise not to shoot the messenger. Just keep telling yourself, it takes a real friend who loves you to be honest with you. The social stigmas against honesty are enormous, and it's something that people only do when they trust and adore each other. If your friend says something that's hard to stomach, they are probably demonstrating a very deep level of trust and respect. They're showing you that they think you are strong, smart, and capable of being even more excellent. Even if it stings, that should give you some warm and fuzzy feelings at the same time. Preventing drama The single most common reason for friendships and RP communities to fall apart is the fear of having hard talks. Issues fester in silence until the group dissolves. This is remarkably easy to prevent. Do you have people in your life that you love? People in your life that you love to play with? Games you don't ever want to end? Take pre-emptive action to protect them, and message your bestest best buddies today. Tell them how much you adore playing with them, what you like about them OOC, and then tell them: "If I ever accidentally hurt your feelings or bore you, I want you to tell me right away. Even if it isn't fun to hear, I like you too much to ever want to let this fall apart. I'm open to any tough talk any time, okay?"
This is true mastery of being excellent to each other. Here's to many more years of dramafree gaming together! If it gets out of hand anyway If drama has gotten out of hand to the point where you are being harassed, please block the offender and CONTACT an administrator for the group immediately for help. Do not reply to insults, harassment or other baiting; you will only fan the flames. Simply block the person and ask for help. ***** Now that you’ve read that try to put it to good use. I really hope it helps solve some of the drama for all you role-players out there. I wish you all happy roleplaying.
This series by Christine Feehan is called The Ghost Walkers. It's about these soldiers both male and female that are experimented on by a man named Whitney who is determined to create an army of psychically enhanced soldiers. As the series goes on it follows the stories of these exordinary people as they battle to win back their lives from the demented man called Whitney. Along the way they find their way to freedom as they fight their way through the many obstacles that block their way to freedom. I once stumbled upon the story upon the story of Rose some years ago while shopping for some new reading material. It was unlike anything that I had ever read before and thought it would be an interesting read. Boy was I ever wrong! It went beyond interesting as I followed the progress of this young woman while she tried to make her bid for freedom with a strange man she had never met
before while out searching for the murderer of her caretakers. Along the story you will find that two people are the complete opposite find the bond that was forged from the first meeting in the swamplands of Louisiana all the way to the point where they find out who exactly killed her care takers. As you read you will experience a whole new side of the human psyche and abilities that you had never thought would be possible. Is the series really worth the time it takes to read it? Absolutely! You'll find that honor, love, courage, and bravery are the exact tools that are needed to conquer an empire that a cruel madman tries to create.
Come one come all. If you have read the Sherrilyn Kenyon books and are 18 or older then I have the group for you. We are a small family who enjoys to write. So if you enjoy to write and want to be part of a fun family contact Cherif Peltier or me. For more available characters check out our docs on our fan page... https://www.facebook.com/groups/742319639130802/
Hello everyone, this months spotlight character that I have chosen is an amazing person not just in Rp but in Rl as well her name is Esmerelda Essie Devereaux. I sat down with her and asked her some questions and here are the answers for you all, I hope you enjoy learning about her as much as I did. Me: Why do you like to Rp? Essie: I like to RP because its a great way of expressing My love of Sherrilyn Kenyon's wonderful world, and its just something I've always done. Most girls grow out of this but i always found myself making up ideas and stories. (In a family of 9 all girls its a great release) Me:What made you choose Essie? Essie: I was drawn to Essie, as an almost kindred spirit. She is,
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like all the women of this wonderful and vast world strong, caring, and very much smarter then most people give any of them credit for.
Me: What would you like to see in the future of rp and why? Essie: Honestly, I'd like to see more cooperation between different RP Sects. We are all cut from the same cloth and we are all loyal to our different universes. Granted the world of Game of Thrones could
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never have a cross over with Dark-Hunters mostly because of the gap in times, but that doesn't mean we have to battle over players or who is better.
Me: Has Rp changed your way of looking at a book or a story? Essie: Playing Essie as I have, has most definitely changed my view on the books and characters as a whole. I used to see them as the older brothers and sisters or friends i'd love
to have. Now i see them as my family. They may not be with me physically but I can always count on something that one of them has said to make me feel better about a given situation.
Me: What do you see for yourself in the future of rping? Essie: I hope to one day see a book about me, which would be great! In the group i hope to stay and be apart of many MANY SL's to come, because I don't know what I'd do with my over active brain if i weren't apart of this world. Every player I meet weather its mutual or not has a place in my heart and you will always be there; and I thank all the Gods that i am allowed to be here. Okay everyone that was my interview with the spotlight character for the month of Febuary. And thank you Essie for letting me get to know you more, and we are happy to have you as a fellow rp member and friend.
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