_...echoed thoughts I've been having about this place since early

on in my stay here. I do feel that there is always a faction of

players who feel that jumping folk is the only way to succeed, and

then of course the rubber band effect kicks in. Personally, I'm always

eager to try some annoying new ability by jumping somebody much

'smaller' than me, and I invariably die hideously for it. The best

reason that many folk have for fighting is simply to acquire defense

triggers, and that's okay too. But it really does seem to me that

the endless cycle to which you alluded could in many instances be

avoided simply by diplomatic behaviour; the understanding that each

character here has a right to live life their own way, and unless it

directly impinges on your own, you should (not you personally, Gurthwin!)

probably live and let live. Of course, as Orthwein explained to me

very early on in my life, every thing that happens to you here has a

reason. If somebody kills you out of the blue, it is no doubt because

you made a snide remark about their favorite modem, and didn't see

the bug-rune.....

Written by my hand on the 22nd of Midsummer, in the year 978.