I am completely stumped!

[zorbels]

I am writing this in hopes of getting some ideas from the roleplayers in this community. I haven't been playing my character Zorbels in game for quite some time now. I miss roleplaying with her but I have become stumped as to where to go with her story. Her history is a long one but I will try and word it a simple as possible and only give information towards the end of my playing in PlaneShift before taking a break.

Zorbels had just wed Satayne. It was quite an event. After the wedding Satayne disappeared. He left a note for Zorbels claiming that he was going to put an end to Alhana once and for all. (Alhana is Zorbels enemy) Alhana was becoming a huge disruption in Zorbels life. She seemed to change after she meet Alhana and Satayne thought that if he could do away with her Zorbels would return to normal again. Way back when Zorbels and Alhana had an encounter. Alhana tried to over take Zorbels and control her as one of her own. Alhana wasn't expecting for Zorbels to put up such a fight or be as strong willed as she was and in the end the two were left with a piece of each other. (I cannot explain that situation in more detail as to how that happened because there are those who still play that were apart of the huge roleplay and it would contain spoliers for them unfortantly.) Alhana could feel emotions. (She lived off of peoples souls and emotions such as hatred,sadness and other such emotions before meeting Zorbels and had no idea what emotions felt like. For lack of a better word she was empty inside.) Zorbels could now see through Alhanas eyes and know the feel of pure hatred. She also left Zorbels with a power that Zorbels still has no idea exactly what it does. Alhana whispered to Zorbels at one point that she had a higher purpose. Zorbels assumes she was meant to lead the way of distruction for Alhanas master. (Whom I never found out due to people becoming inactive in game)

Anyhow so I am at this point, Satayne is missing, Alhana is doomed to be imprisioned in the death relam until someone finds a way to release her (No one knows where she is in the DR), and Zorbels has been running all over the world looking for Satayne. (This explains my absents from PlaneShift for eight months) Zorbels is begining to suspect that these sightings of Satayne are just Alhana sending out that information to keep Zorbels busy and out of her way. Zorbels also is begining to suspect that Satayne did find Alhana but that she has killed him.

I am stumped. Usually I have good ideas or I just wing it and roleplay away. After being away so long it is hard to start up where you left off, especially when most of those you roleplayed with are gone. Now Zorbels the character to me is depressed about losing her husband and many other friends along the way. Her guild is off on quests. (None at this point are active) She has no reasons to even continue on. I can't seem to get out of that sad state and I hate it. I hate that everytime I have logged on with Zorbels I am always sad about Satayne and roleplaying me finding his where abouts. It is boring me to tears. My character was always fun loving, active, happy and a trouble maker in not a harmful way. I fear I am losing interest in my character but I don't want too. Any ideas? Any feed back I would appreciate. I am not looking to have a whole new story written so I can go roleplay it out in game. I just want some suggestions on how I can move forward. Otherwise I think I am facing the decision of having the character beome inactive permanently.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to read my post and an even bigger thanks to those who answer it.

[Suno_Regin]

You'll find your place...

If it comes down to it, your character Zorbels may assume the worst and think Satayne was killed by Alhana (or something like that), and sort of...drift. That's all I could come up with, really. She may be trying to rebuild her life after losing her husband, and other than that simply wait for Alhana to do something. =/

All I can give you...hope it made sense/helped any.

However, just because your story's at a standstill doesn't mean you can't expand. Your character may be interested in what's going on with Duraza, and if she was anywhere close to Farren, associate with him and whatnot. There are plenty of things going on ingame behind the scenes, stay around the tavern a lot, and if you want to ask a few questions about "how to get involved' and whatnot, feel free to ask around. I don't know if you might like getting into roleplays that can go against settings, but Alhana was sort of a strange character to begin with, so it won't be that much different from his/her roleplay.

[ThomPhoenix]

You!=Zorbels. Start a new character and have more fun. Sometimes it's just that time to let a character go.
^{They'll probably kill me for saying this}

[Dajoji]

A new/different enemy always comes in handy too. Say, got anyone off your christmas list lately? Anyone you want to put in their place once and for all other than Alhana? Another project Zorbels could pour herself into could be reviving her guild. I miss the Protectors. Would be nice to see them around more often. Then there's the new religions... and the old ones... she could find meaning in one of them.

[Rayken]

I would choose light RP over serious for a while to give the character some reprieve.  When grieving in RL, there comes a time when you just get tired of feeling that way and you decide to be happy.  It's not a longterm fix, but there's nothing forced about it and it's a healthy break.  I think that Zorby should give herself one of those.  Try and make some new friends, and just have some fun.  I haven't been able to get IG in a while due to a serious case of fried compy so I don't really know what things are like socially right now, but it shouldn't be too hard to find some people to have fun with.

[Suno_Regin]

I don't really know what things are like socially right now, but it shouldn't be too hard to find some people to have fun with.

Everyone tryin' to keel yoo!

That's how things are socially right now.

[zorbels]

You!=Zorbels. Start a new character and have more fun. Sometimes it's just that time to let a character go.
^{They'll probably kill me for saying this}

* zorbels laughs

Who says I don't have other characters. I just like my Zorbels more.

I really did consider that. Problem is that Zorbels was in her early 20's when she joined the Protectors. So I am guessing at this point she is in her late 20's. I really want her to die of old age rather than some accident or being murdered. So killing her off would be hard. If it was going to be murder or something, I would want Zorbels to go out with a bang.

@Suno: Thanks for the suggestions. Forewarn Farren I will be nagging him soon. Oh and also tell him it was your idea. He he he! Seriously, I will look into it and if they are willing to have me in their roleplay I would be happy to join.

@ThomPhoenix:  Ya know there are some people I have in mind that are off my christmas list ....... O.k I am going to be completely honest. I would love to run the Protectors. What stops me?Sangwa's wrath. No really, I just don't have the experience to run a guild. I am more of a spokesperson or spy for a guild or a threat (seeing as Zorbels is a warrior). Not a guild master. I fear I would ruin my guild by taking over. That's the truth.  Don't make fun of me for admitting that, I have feelers. On another note I am not sure I could with stand all of the critisim that would come of it. Remember this is me were talking about, miss sensitivity. *grins*

@Rayken: Good and sound advice as always. I work to hard at my character at times and get more concerned with what I am involved in and how I can make it better rather than just having fun. Well damn it, your right, time to have fun.

[Phinehas]

I'd go with Rayken's advice and add that maybe you should steer away from the "epic" RP for a while... Maybe take some time off the rather cliche "everyone's soul is at peril!" type of RP and go with something a little more commonplace. I know that may sound boring on the surface, but I've found it to be most interesting and rewarding. Making friends who are just friends, not comrades-in-arms, studying your trade(whether it be combative or not) just for the pure enjoyment that your character gets from it, and not out of a desire to defeat the evil that is always nipping at your heels... Just "be".
I know I always use Phinehas for an example, and it probably gets old, but I have to say that I RP him as one of the most powerful wizards(possibly "the" most powerful) in all of Yliakum(whether justly or not is an argument for another time), and yet he rarely gets involved in combating great evils. As a player, I have never regretted not having him take part in more "epic" storylines. Never felt like I was missing out. Now that's easier for me, since Phinehas is "neutral" and so doesn't get involved in stuff, but even so...

[Leama]

Zorbels I understand completely. I left the game for six months and my role play was dead when I returned. It seemed like most of my friends if not all did not remember me. So what should I do I asked myself? Many of my old friends had left while I was gone also. I did not have a guild but I do understand you.

It was hard work to get back in game. You know to find ‘my place’ as they say. Now I am in game for a few months and just yesterday I asked this question on IRC, ‘Who can give me a new role play idea?’ I am sort out of ideas at the moment. So what to do? I think the best suggestion I received was to go find new friends and let them guide me into new role plays. It is hard to forget the past but maybe you can use your past as your history of Zorbels. Think that you are looking for a bright new future. Of course you are well liked by many so that helps.

So I suggest if you have contact with anyone you want to role play with, ask them. Start out easy with ‘Hi’ and go from there. Make new friends. Zorbels will always have a place here. Your history will not die.

Then as you become friends with new people you can tell them your stories of the distant past. All of a sudden you become ‘Zorbels the story teller.’ Trust me everyone will gather around to hear your tales. I will be the first to listen. 

I would love to see you to be happy in game and to stay.

You are part of the family Zorbels. Look down and see little Leama holding up her arms for a hug.

[Dajoji]

Oh, I just remembered something: didn't Zorbs run a 1-hour portrait walking studio? She could pour into her art again. And you don't need to run your guild to work on its revival. With your RP and recruiting privileges you can make a difference.

[Prolix]

You could throw yourself into a Citizen's Action Committee's affairs. I know COACT could use someone to collect signatures on petitions and raise awareness of our issues. Of course all that takes money so you could also do fund raising by approaching rich benefactors and sublimating their pocketbooks. We are not a duly constituted guild so any other affiliations you have would not need to be terminated. The best part of all is you would get to work for me!

[Ichaas]

It seems to me that you are trying too hard to follow some sort of a story. Which is fine, don't get me wrong, but that's often a very hard thing to do on an MMO.  When I was playing I wasn't the most known for roleplaying, I did, but I kept it to my encounters and such, rather than pursueing a single storylne. Therfore flexibility is infinate, and I don't have to tie myself to anything.  By all means keep tha story, it makes a good addition to the history of Zorbels, but just do somthing which reflects your current situation - theefore you can contnue and it will still be the same character, just with a long experiance.

Not an exact answer, but it's just my take on what I got from that. Sorry if I missed it completely.

[Marqsaynt]

It's very easy to get bored with a character, even a favorite character, if there no longer seems to be any story arc for character progression. I could be wrong but, it seems to me that you may not exactly be looking for new RP ideas for Zorbels but a new purpose that hints at some kind of future. So I think I'll ramble off a few thoughts/questions and just hope that somehow they help a little.

1. No one is the same person they were at 20 when they are 29. The same would go for Zorbel's character. While the core of who she is wouldn't change, post marriage and mourning, what would the nearly 30 year old Zorbels be like? Wiser? Cynical? Guarded? Compassionate? Only you know Zorbel's character well enough to answer these questions.

2. What does this late twenties Zorbels want? I know in game time can be kind of goofy but, lets for the heck of it say 5 years has passed since Satayne disappeared. She's had half a decade to search, mourn, and whether or not she wanted to or not, get used to being on her own. There must be something that she wants, something unachieved or newly prioritized. I mean, most Enkis only live to be 60 so... Zorbels is middle-aged! :O I'd think that alone would create an ideal time to have a character that is reevaluating their life.

3. Just because certain RP events are left open-ended doesn't mean a character stops living. For every one memorable day, there are hundreds that are pretty typical but, greatly effect who a character is and is becoming. Zorbels has a lot of living left to do, you just need to let her live. That doesn't mean you close the door on the past but, you need to let her keep growing. if Satayne and Alhana ever get around to coming back, then I'd expect that their characters probably have changed a bit as well. Basically what I am trying to say is, you don't ever have to close a door but a character has to keep moving forward, walking through new doorways...  and getting thrown through the occasional window.


To summarize, you don't have to pick up where you left off. Just because you weren't around doesn't mean the realm stopped moving, or that Zorbels stopped living... you just need to catch back up with her.

Hope some of this was helpful... and halfway coherent.

[Garile]

hmmm hard one. Roleplaying is already difficult sometimes when people become inactive, but what do you so if everyone you roleplayed with is inactive or moved on.

Think a lot depends if you have any hopes on Satayne and Alhanna. I don't know is either is an alt but the question is are they going to return or are they almost certainly gone.

A new enemy a new goal is always a good thing. Perhaps discover Alhanna is connected to someone or something and concentrate on that as the so called only lead and discover herself again along the way?

All been said already and hardly roleplayed with you so can't give any indepth ideas.

Hope to meet Zorbels more though. Always good to see familiar faces return.

[neko kyouran]

Oh, I just remembered something: didn't Zorbs run a 1-hour portrait walking studio? She could pour into her art again. And you don't need to run your guild to work on its revival. With your RP and recruiting privileges you can make a difference.

you still owe me a picture.