Byn

this thread really called them out

Taking elves on contracts is problematic. They don't ride (including wagons/skimmer). Whenever I've played in the Byn,the elves were usually rinthers. They were there to get combat training and usually skipped the contracts. I do remember there being at least one elf that made sergeant. Kinda weird.

There was one really great elf Bynner, whose name is escaping me (Sh-something), but I'm sure will get mentioned. Him and Drake, my dwarf Byn merc, were runners in the Byn together and pal'd around with Tarq.

I ended up retiring Drake, because I wanted to try a certain delf role, because right then they announced Arm 2.0 and that the game was closing in 4-6 months OMGODZ and to play your last role!!11. But the elf went on to not only become one of the most successful sergeants in Byn history, make lieutenant but to become a sorcerer as well via an IC plot currently in play (this was back in 2006-2007 or therebouts). 

That said, he was the glorious exception to the rule that most elven runners were a pain in the ass. I never considered not including them, though. I just grumbled, bitched and went about business.

I left Armageddon for a year or so after the delf role fell through and kept expecting to come back to 2.0. They let me unfreeze Drake, which was mighty white of them, and he was shocked at all the epic adventures that elf got up to in his absence. Predictably, he died while working as a bodyguard/spear-carrier to X-D's dwarf fire mage...forget the mage's name, but that fire gicker dwarf was one of the most prolific and successful raiders of Tuluk there ever was. And he lived a loooong time.

Anywhoo. Since it was X-D, I naturally had one of my most fucked up deaths ever, and which I know gave him many laughs:

We stirred a nest of mantis (fucking around in wyvern valley), and Drake pretty much went into full hero mode, going toe to toe with six of them, with his shield up, rescuing and guarding the fire mage. Then the fire mage fled, and put up fire walls behind him. I subsequently fled as well but had not noticed the fire walls.

AND I FLED THROUGH HIS FIREWALL. 

I collapsed in a smoking heap and shortly expired to what I'm sure were tears of laughter.

But the really fucked up thing about this story...In the room where the Mantis assaulted us, and from which they had to escape...

There was only one direction out.

The issue is one of playability.

I can recall several instances of gemmed being approved by Templars to hang around in the Gaj with their 'eyes' on. It would get to the point of new elemental PCs being marked within minutes entering the the game, followed by (warranted) complaints, followed by NPCs issuing directives to PC Templars to knock it off.

It makes sense for both the Templars and Oash to be doing regular sweeps of the city for new 'recruits', but it can and has destroyed entire concepts before the players, some of whom had been waiting for literal weeks to have their special application PC approved, to even notch an hour played.

I've had many elemental, psionicist and even some sorcerer PCs serve under my various sponsored roles over the years. It isn't difficult to spot them when you've been around long enough, but they choose those roles because they wanted to have some fun with it. I've never, ever felt the need to spoil it for them unless it was unavoidable due to IC circumstances.

The purpose of being in a sponsored role, be it a Templar, Noble or GMH family member, is to facilitate enjoyment and opportunity for others, not to prove what a savvy player you are because no one can slip one past you. There is more to be gained from letting people run with the roles they prefer than to mechanically force them into roles they are plainly avoiding, just because you can.

I would like to think this is the reason most aren't as aggressive in their pursuit of unnaturals as documentation suggests they should be.

Yep, I think detection is high enough. Make a mage and join the byn, better yet make a scorcerer/scionist/nilazi and join the byn. If you can go a full Zalanthan (~43days) year undetected come back and tell us.

Uh. First of all if you're in the Byn and are a mage you're going to get wrecked in sparring and the sergeant is going to kick you out for being useless. I wouldn't promote anyone to trooper who was that bad in fact I'd probably give them their coins back and kick them out.

Sharak. Right?

Edit: Yeah, looked at the earlier posts. That's who everybody is talking about, right?