<span class="bbc_u"><strong>Announcement:</strong></span><br/><br/>I have been reading over the threads this morning and I am overcome by resentment and frustration.  I wish things had worked out, but I have been really disappointed with the play in general, though some parts of the game have been just<em>spectacular.</em>I had a dream of creating an open world that people could inhabit and build upon, but most of the time, it just feels like I'm dragging everyone along on a string against their will.  Maybe that's on me and my shortcomings as a GM, but I<em>tried</em>my best.  I've never been in a system game on E that worked, but I'd like to think that this game came close.<br/><br/>I think it would be best if the game came to an end at this point.  I am sorry to see the dream fade when so many of you have so many warm feelings for it, but I don't see the situation improving unless there is a dramatic, systemic change, which... I don't have the heart to do.<br/><br/>I love GMing and I enjoyed renewing friendships and meeting new friends, and I have nothing but kind things to say now that I am resolved to say things.  I am not really a Discord guy, so you will probably not see me around there any more.<br/><br/>To that end:<br/><br/><div align="center"><strong>**********************<br/>AN EPILOGUE<br/>**********************</strong></div><br/>Once again, the dream stirred Twin Oxenbridge awake.  He sat upright, shook the cobwebs from his mind, and looked around to see that he was in his room at the university of Cadis.  The dream.  He had dreamt of a dark continent filled with horrors.  He had dreamt of meeting a beautiful princess, a dark prince, and a sortie of troubadours.  He had dreamt that he had been murdered, stabbed in the abdomen by an orc.  Or was it an ogre?<br/><br/>He slung his legs over the side of the bed and sat cradling his head.  For some reason he could not explain, everything hurt.<br/><br/>In his line of vision, he saw the toes of booted feet.  He lifted his gaze to see the form of a cloaked man take shape before him.<br/><br/>"Hello, Twin," the man said.<br/><br/>The boy shook his head in disbelief as the man who appeared before him had an uncanny resemblance to himself.<br/><br/>"Do not be alarmed," the man said.   "Everything will be explained shortly."  The man, clutching his side where he had been stabbed by the Beast of House Nox, sat beside the boy on the bed.<br/><br/>"... I don't understand," the boy said.   "Are you me?"<br/><br/>"You will understand, in time," the wizard replied.   "But yes, I am you, but from the future."<br/><br/>"Why have you come here?" the boy asked, moving away from the wizard.<br/><br/>"I have come... because I have failed again," the wizard answered.   "I keep failing."<br/><br/>"So what will you do now?" asked the boy.<br/><br/>"... I will do what I have always done," replied the wizard.   "I will just try again."