you want it straight up? sure, why not?
Maige was once the leader of HOT, and I (along with Jacobite) was the second in command. Then along came the threat of war with Xig. I spoke out against joining that war, because the ONLY reason we had to join it was the alliance we had with TW/FTR. A few others spoke against it, but I was the one most vocal.
My reason for this was that I had worked hard to help get the alliance we had with Xig in the first place. And I knew that in the south Xig and HOT had always gotten along. Well I tried to make my points to maige, but he put it to a vote before i could talk it over with him, so I spoke out in the leadership meeting against the war. Arguing ensues. I'm voted down. I accept the decision. We go to war.
As everyone who knows anything concerning me and the war can atest to, I supported it fully once it had been voted upon. I attended allied meetings as maige's spokesman a few times, I raised support for HOT players, I made the rounds through the southern tribes trying to bolster morale. When COLD seperated, it was me that they demoted and betrayed after I moved there to try to help them.
Anywhoooo.... At one point maige decided HOT needed a better framework for leadership. He created the High Council. Because of our involvement in the war, and the fact that I am more of a diplomat than a warleader, he thought Colossus should be named second. He asked me if this was alright by me. I told him that colossus was the only person that could jump me like that and still hold my loyalty, because we were very good friends.
So, I became the Head of the High Council instead. I continued to act as maige's right hand, since colossus is more of a hands off kinda guy. It all worked out quite well until maige left. Colossus and I scrambled, and we decided that he should assume command, since a few people were still upset with me about my original stance on the war, despite me having put all effort into winning it.
So... I supported colossus in everything in public, I continued to debate on things with him in private, since that's what advisors do, but in public I was always on his side. I was trying to help him make the best and most informed decisions for the tribe. It was how maige and I had worked. I realized too late that he merely thought of it as nagging.
As the weeks went on, everything that came my way from the members of HOT got taken over by Mcm0mmy. I grew used to the phrase "I'll handle it." Soooo I started to get quite a bit frustrated. And when I asked what my job as Head of the Council was supposed to entail, I was told that I really had no duties. So rather than be Mcm0mmy's switchboard, I resigned as Head of the council and focused on HOT main, which was involved heavily in TW's operations in the Xig war at the time.
After a week or two, I became a council member again, but as the representative of HOT main. Colossus wasn't as open with me as he had been before maige left, and it had only gotten worse. I nagged a bit more than usual, telling him he needed to delegate or he'd burn out. Saying he needed to name someone as his second in command. I actually suggested Mcm0mmy at one point.
Then Colossus had enough biskering one night and told me why he was ignoring my efforts as a leader. Evidently most of leadership had decided at the start of the Xig war that due to my opposition for joining the war, they would never follow me in a leadership position above them. But they didn't want to hurt my feelings, so they didn't say anything. They let me do my job, and spend my sweat and tears fighting that war.
I said fine, I'd just have to prove myself again. I asked for a new position, adn for him to give me another chance. I had worked hard during the war after all. He said he'd think about it.
Meanwhile..... Hanlin and a few other players had come up with the notion that HOT main was not tactically sound, and the members should be spread out into the other tribes. I argued. Colossus said it wouldn't happen so long as I ran HOT main, because he couldn't do that to me. However, with the reorganization of the NE, a few of my players who were not located in the core changed tribes, with my blessings and promises that we'd always be there for them. But then when it was time for members to shift into HOT main, they wouldn't leave NW. Ok, Mantho owns k44, and I was mad, but colossus said we don't force people to move, and I reluctantly dropped it.
Then issues began to build, and colossus became even more distant to me, along with the other leaders. Mantho and Merlin were basically inactive as leaders, and it was only me, mcm0mmy, and colossus doing everything for a while. Then Mantho was named Second in Command. I blew a gasket. Our titled Battle Commander who hadn't done much of anything during the war, was now given the second in command position. I could have accepted it being mcm0mmy, for all the hard work she did, but Mantho had been just too busy for leadership before this. I was insulted.
Arguments started up again and I talked to colossus about leaving HOT. I didn't want to, because I didn't know if it would make others leave as well. I knew there were a few people that have always said that if I ever left, they would leave too... but you never know how many actually would. I didn't want to break HOT apart with Xig looming down. But colossus and I talked about it anyway. I told him that most of HOT main would likely follow me, and I didn't want them to be chased down as traitors. He said HOT wasn't a prison and people could leave of their own free will.
I told him that if I left, I had thought of making my own little tribe, but it wouldn't last a week in the core. I would have to join another family tribe or we'd be crushed. At this time DRVeyl and I had been friends for quite some time, and we had always joked about recruiting each other... him recruiting me as a leader, and me recruiting him to be HOT main's warlord. It was all playing, since neither of us would go, but now it looked a bit more interesting to me. I asked Veyl if I would be welcome in TW, if people trailed along behind me. He knew about all the stress I'd been under since we talked as friends, and he said that TW would be glad to take me in. Later, when I asked what the conditions would be, he said he would make a new branch for me and whoever came would be welcome. He joked that he'd make 6 new branches if I needed it. I knew that wasn't going to happen, but it got a laugh out of me. (This is the mail that colossus refers to, btw.)
So I spoke to colossus and told him that i was seriously thinking about leaving, and I asked him what would happen to HOT main. He said that after i left the people would be moved out. I asked that I be allowed to tell them that they were welcome with me, as long as I didn't try to talk them into it. He said that I could, but not any sooner than 24 hours before I left.
Something finally sparked my leaving and I informed my aristocrats on a sunday morning. They all declared that they'd be going with me, which didn't suprise me much, since we're a tight group. so I began writing a mail both to HOT main members (including an account colossus was sitting in HOT main) and to all HOT members. While I was doing that, one of my barons demoted the account colossus had been sitting. I noticed, but was busy trying to get the mails finished before leadership was busy in their weekly meeting. So I left it. It had already been done, and the overview would show that, so I'd explain it later, although I told the baron not to dismiss him.
Due to trying to copy-paste a huge list of names correctly in IGM... sigh... I went longer than expected and when colossus asked if I was coming to the meeting, I told him to wait, because I was leaving HOT and sending out the mail. A very long and heated argument ensued on msn between the two of us, and colossus made me promote the account he was sitting to duke and demote my own dukes and he demoted me himself. Then he told me to leave before he dismissed me. I went to TW3, and fearing that he'd dismiss the whole tribe when people started leaving to follow, I had blanket invites sent to HOT main members.
Many of them came over, some didn't. I ordered my aristocrats not to invite anyone that was not in HOT main unless they emailed first and asked for an invite. We were not recruiting. Only 4 people emailed for that invite in the next week.
Colossus branded us traitors, me and Mr. Roadrunner in particular. He will not allow anything to be posted on his forum to the contrary. And he demanded that TW dismiss MrRR and myself. He settled for having us stripped of rank. But then that wasn't good enough and he asked for our dismissal again. Futzy agreed and was given 48 hours. But Futzy changed his mind and wanted to renegotiate. I was willing to move if that's what it took to have this finished with. But Futzy and Veyl both wanted to try to get me to stay.
At the begining of this week, HOT and TW had a meeting to determine my "punishment" for being a traitor. I was to give 100 of my 122 villages back to HOT. TW would help me replace them. I was very angry at first. But then I said I would agree under two conditions... First that colossus posts in the public forum that this "punishment" clears me and my followers of this whole issue and there would be no further insults or retaliation... Second that I choose who in HOT gets to take my 100 villages. Both conditions were denied immediately.
Therefore, to avoid causing even more problems for TW, since I wasn't willing to be beaten out of 4/5 of my account even if I would gain it back, I asked Aten if I was still welcome. They took me in, and Futzy and I parted ways wishing things had gone better. I asked my people to stay with him, under his protection, since my own future would be unclear. I didn't want them following me to their doom.
:icon_eek: 
