Tlei,

Sorry for not responding sooner - I tend to avoid this board because the

incessant whining gets to me.

As for your post - shall I bore everyone with a sad tale? That I learned

Avalon is a pitiless place full of sadistic animals?

Or instead, that I learned the value of perserverance, the fun of being

brothers-in-arms, the love of a beleaguered guild and city, the value of

loyal friends and city-mates.

But, I do get your point. I believe that the worst aspect was that small

players (as I was then) didn't get to learn combat. Dunc's newbieleague

is a terrific idea for that very reason.

I got into some bad habits. I don't care about dying. Why should I? I've

known little else. Threats don't matter a damn, and the bonds against me

make me laugh when i think that some 80-odd of them were made when I was

a day or so off of LW.

But my inability to fight now is my fault alone. I decided early on that I

couldn't win a fight and stopped trying. So much for perserverance!

Of course, I could be opting for passive resistance *grin*

All in all, did it affect me? Sure. But that's Avalon. You aren't born here

with any guarantees. I happened to be born during a Stones War. So if I learn to

fight now and turn into the biggest, baddest, most evil bitch this world has ever seen

then Thakrians will know who to blame when I crush them to dust.

Or not *grin*

Respectfully yours,

Galadriel.

Written by my hand on the 15th of Hindyear, in the year 1079.