Shadow Sermon Event

This was our second Shadow sermon hosted by the guild, and our first one months ago had a massive turn out so we had big shoes to fill. The sermons have always been open to Forsaken outside of our guild, since it's a great way to get our name out there and let potential recruits see what our roleplay is like. Our last one was just a simple explanation on the major and optional tenets of the Forgotten Shadow (Power, Tenacity, Respect, Compassion and Death) and it worked well because we had five priests speaking. This sermon had a more complicated theme: thoughts on why the Light has abandoned the Forsaken.

All in all I'd say it was a success. We had a great location in the Undercity sewers, nestled in between two hulking abominations and speaking in a large, hollow sewer pipe; we roleplayed the echo making our characters sound louder. The roleplay went on for hours afterwards, and the response from our guests was very positive. We had about thirty Forsaken and no griefers or uninvited living characters, much the same as our last sermon. Everyone worked hard on their sermons and got very creative with them, I'm glad all our attendants were very respectful out of character. I think the trick is not posting the location of the event publicly, I always post about the event, and then offer calendar invitations with the details to people who message or mail me in-game saying they're interested.

I logged the sermons our characters gave to the crowd, they're posted after the break. We had a lot of crowd responses and our buddy Lorco hosted the event in-character, but it's all edited out just because it'd be so damn long otherwise.

The first speaker was my unkind Shadow Priest alt, Darila. 

Darila walks up to the opening of the sewers, she's dragging a freshly killed rabbit behind her on a rope leash. She stands tall, narrowing her eyes and staring at the crowd for a long moment before spreading her arms and speaking. 

Darila: "BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE SHADOW! Listen well, for I, Darila, First Sergeant and Priestess of the Forgotten Shadow have come to impart my limitless knowledge and wisdom upon your poor, rotten brains."

Darila pauses, savouring the sound of her own words and tilting her head towards the ceiling.

Darila: "Many of you have felt the touch of the Light as Forsaken. I will not speak of the incredibly rare few of us who still wield it, but rather those who have felt the Light when the living use it to mend our wounds in battle."  

Darila pantomimes a convincing shudder, then points her finger at the crowd accusingly. She screams: “IT BURNS US WITH IMENSINE PAIN.”  

Darila: "Why? Why does it burn us? The Forsaken are the only ones who feel this pain from the 'benevolent' Light, save for Ebon Knights - but those Scourge cocksuckers don’t count. I'll tell you why, brothers and sisters, the Light hates us."

Darila tries to hold the gaze of each individual member of the crowd, scanning every face before speaking again, this time quietly.  

Darila: "The Light hates us, and using it, or worshipping it, goes against it's will; which makes you a worthless hypocritical asshole if you do the latter in death. It causes us immense pain because that's what it wants, it didn't see fit to just abandon us... It wants to hurt us on top of it. Put your faith in the Shadow, the stronger half of the Light. It embraced us when the Light did not, it animates you, and offers you a path worth following. That is all, Shadow preserve brothers and sisters."

Next up was Lemlem, who had a compelling sermon about that fed-ex quest in Icecrown:

Lemlem shuffles forward, leaning on an antiquated staff...the once shining symbol of purity is faded and cracked.  She runs a flesh tattered hand over it fondly as she looks out over the crowd.

Lemlem: "A Tale of Valor..."

Lemlem: "His name was Crusader Bridenbrad...and he fell like so many others upon the frozen glacier of Icecrown.  The Argent Crusade saw fit to try and save this...human...instead of letting him simply succumb to the plague, and letting him earn potential freedom..."

Lemlem: "I was tasked in saving him.  From Moonglade to the pinnace of Wyrmrest...I cajoled guardians of Cenarius and Red Dragons...all to no avail.  In a final effort I was sent to Shattrath to speak with...A'dal."

Lemlem's voice does not waver and caries just enough in a somber and indifferent timbre...for now.

Lemlem: "When all else seemed...lost...in this useless venture, the foul mind-reading alien Naaru agreed to free this withering spirit from his fate...I bore witness then, to a great lie."

Lemlem: "Before me, RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME...A'dal stated...that the light does not forsake its champions!"

Lemlem: "Tell me, who among us is not a champion? A testament to will alone?"

Lemlem: "I say...bullshit.  There is no redemption from the light.  The light is a liar.  Use it like any other tool...make it regret forsaking us." 

Lupulin in our guild was next, he's new to roleplay in WoW and totally busted his ass on his sermon. I wound up making an exception to the character limit we set for the sermons for his.

Lupulin walks toward the front with notes in hand. His fresh red and black robes are a striking contrast to the rest of his stained and torn clothing. Approaching the lectern, he places the notes on it before him and gently grips each side.

Lupulin: "Thank you very much. Good evening Brothers and Sisters."

Lupulin: "Tonight I speak to you on the Shadow’s tenet of Divine Humanism: that the self shapes the universe. I will also illustrate how the Light robs the individual of this innate power, enslaving their own in the process."

Lupulin: "The Shadow teaches that we have the power to affect others and the world around them. The Holy Light preaches that you cannot, albeit indirectly."

Lupulin looks up from his notes, jerking his head left and right to scan the crowd, his slack-jaw flopping lazily behind.

Lupulin: "You see my fellow Forsaken, the Light relies on a flawed assumption that in order to impact those around you, one must first put forth change to the universe; and only then the universe itself will do the changing to others."

Lupulin: "The truth is that there is no mythical bond that links you with the universe. The only bond is your direct actions toward one another. The power, my Forsaken friends, comes from you!"

Lupulin points at the audience assembled before him, and continues.

Lupulin: "A simple example. When you took pumpkins from the human farms and made them cry, did the universe make him whimper before you? …Of course not, it was your doing."

Lupulin: "Stab a murloc, see it run. Summon a voidwalker to do your bidding. Rain down ice shards that kill your enemies. Dig maggots out of rotted flesh; watch a Sin’Dorei puke on his shiny new armor."

Lupulin: "Your actions, your powers, directly influence the world."

Lupulin grins wickedly.

Lupulin: "The Forgotten Shadow’s doctrine reminds us that we are important and significant to the world around us. And as we grow in power, the stronger our influence on the universe becomes."

Lupulin: "Essentially the Holy Light preaches that the individual only has an indirect, weaker role to play. The power does not come directly from them, they say. It belittles their place in the world and strips them of their autonomy."

Lupulin: "My fellow Forsaken, does it not sound like slavery to you?"

Lupulin: "The Holy Light does not respect the individual, their identity or their power. It subjugates and steals from its flock, in order to bring unjustified glory unto itself."

Lupulin: "But we Forsaken are not fooled so easily. Not only will never be enslaved again, and in this acolyte’s view, is enough reason why we abandon the Light."

Lupulin nods. He seems pleased with himself.

Lupulin: "In sum, the Forgotten Shadow recognizes that each of us has the direct ability to influence the world. The Shadow encourages us to use our innate power, for those who decide to embrace it."

Lupulin: "Brothers and Sisters of the Forsaken, we were born of the Shadow. Go out into the World and use that gift that was given to you. Embrace the Shadow!"

Lupulin: "Thank you and may the Dark Lady watch over us all." 

 Another officer alt, Tahlus was next:

Tahlus: "Many of the followers of the Shadow resent the Light whole-heartedly.  I, myself, fall into this category.  However, with the fear of our extinction ever-present during these dark days, I have become aware of the Light’s benefits despite the superiority of the Shadow."  

Tahlus: "I am here to tell you that it is possible to implement the powers of the Light by use of force.  You don’t need to be an overzealous Scarlet bastard in order to be a Light-wielder despite what others may tell you.  You can learn to bend the Light to your will by force, via the Shadow of course.  Yes, the pain in still present of course, but with the power of the Shadow in your very soul, the pain  feels less and less."  

Tahlus: "Ultimately, it is about using the Light as a minion of your beckoning - calling upon it only when necessary to help your allies in an emergency.  The powers of healing have never been more necessary for us Forsaken, but if you let the power of the Shadow consume your very soul and overthrow the burning of the Light, then you will have the tools we need today to survive."  

Tahlus: "The trainers of the Undercity can help you learn to harness the powers of both the Shadow and the Light - I suggest you speak to them, as I have, and wield the powers our people need so desperately.

One of our members, Alfhie, had prepared a sermon on compassion but was unable to attend due to computer woes. Fortunately Korresh in our guild read it at the event on her behalf:

Alfhie: "I hear a some debate over the inclusion of compassion as one of the guiding virtues of the Shadow – many scoff, deride, dismiss it as a holdover, a relic of the Light. They call it a weakness. They'll tell you individuality makes us cunning, makes us strong, and yes, it enabled us to seize our freedom... but alone, it is not enough."

Alfhie: "We are threatened on all sides. Alone, any of us - even the strongest among us - would be overwhelmed. Compassion doesn't require that you serve the universe; the living hate and fear us. The only kindness you are ever likely to receive again will come from your fellow Forsaken, so that is all the Shadow asks of you; support your people."

Alfhie: "Our collective will has proven equal to every obstacle and attack that a hostile world has thrown at us. This is only possible because we are unified. In essence: Don't be a jerk, you'll survive longer.  Power to the Forsaken. Shadow guard you all."